In the current climate, it feels like we’ve stepped right into a scene from Orwell’s “1984.” The Smithsonian Institution, America’s iconic collection of 21 national museums in Washington, D.C., has recently been thrust into the spotlight by an executive order from President Donald Trump. This directive aims to cleanse what he refers to as “distorted narratives” and put an end to the “corrosive ideology” that he claims instills a sense of national shame. According to the order, the institution is under the sway of a divisive ideology focused on race that unfairly paints American and Western values as inherently oppressive. Vice-President JD Vance, by virtue of his role on the museum’s board, has been entrusted to clamp down on programs that may widen racial divides. The goal, as per the order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” is to eradicate “improper ideology.” One can’t help but think that George Orwell was rather prescient.
While stunning, this move wasn’t entirely unforeseen. After Trump made his presence felt at the John F. Kennedy Center and decried its alleged ‘wokeness,’ the federally funded Smithsonian seemed a likely next target. Those who thought Trump’s fury was limited to the Kennedy Center were mistaken about the breadth of his ideological reach. This new order takes aim at the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum for its inclusion of transgender women—despite the fact that the museum has not yet been built—the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and an exhibition called “The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture” at the American Art Museum.
Just a few weeks ago, I found myself wandering through the Museum of African American History for the first time. It’s a vast treasure trove of stories and knowledge, highlighted by rich texts. During my visit, the museum buzzed with mainly Black families eager to connect with a narrative often confined to the fringes, or altogether wiped from, the conventional national storyline. This museum offers an expansive array of narratives, starting from the basement’s exhibit on the transatlantic slave trade. One particularly moving artifact is a piece of iron ballast, replacing human cargo unloaded from slave ships on their brutal triangular route. The museum strikes an intriguing balance, unflinchingly examining oppressive systems while celebrating the incredible achievements and cultural wealth of the Black community.
Lonnie Bunch, the museum’s founding director, once spoke at the House of Lords in 2011 about the trials of building such an institution. It was poignant to hear about creating a museum—essentially a narrative space—from the scant material relics of historically marginalized communities. The institution had called for artifact loans and donations, and contributions came in, like a bonnet lovingly embroidered by someone’s enslaved grandmother, adding depth to the new collection.
Fast forward to today, and Bunch now directs the entire Smithsonian Institution. He believes, as he mentioned at Queen’s University Belfast last year, that history serves as a pathway to understanding the tensions that divide us. For Bunch, these tensions are where learning and transformation occur. His compassionate view stands in stark contrast to Trump’s directive, which elevates a triumphalist version of history focused solely on “our Nation’s unparalleled legacy of advancing liberty, individual rights, and human happiness.” It’s far easier, of course, to embrace this comforting notion of constant progress than to engage with the complex, challenging narratives presented by the Museum of African American History. Facing such governmental pressure, one must wonder about the museum’s future.
I also made a visit to the American Art Museum, where “The Shape of Power” exhibit has been criticized as an example of the Smithsonian’s alleged ideological decline. This exhibition, years in the making, presents the clear yet nuanced view that race is not an intrinsic category but rather a social construct serving specific economic and political interests. The Greeks and Romans are frequently cited by U.S. conservatives as pillars of “western civilization,” yet despite their xenophobia and slavery, race wasn’t an operative category for them. The exhibit compellingly explores how racial ideology is manifested and sometimes deconstructed through sculpture—a medium often perceived as synonymous with realism and truth.
This exhibit also features a quote from Toni Morrison, who expressed a desire “to draw a map…to open as much space for discovery, intellectual adventure, and exploration as did the original charting of the New World.” Such intellectual exploration seems unwelcome at the White House under the current administration. Trump’s vision mirrors that of leaders like Viktor Orbán in Hungary or Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, where state narratives are tightly controlled, and dissenting voices are routinely suppressed. For the Smithsonian and its dedicated staff, the dilemma is stark: comply with Trump’s demands or seek means to resist.
