ATLANTA, GA- President Donald Trump has signed an order that accuses the Smithsonian of not telling the true American History, but critics are suggesting it might just be a way of sanitizing racism in the U.S.
According to the Associated Press story this past week, President Trump said he does not believe the Smithsonian is accurately representing American History.
But, AP wrote, many historical critics believe the new “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” executive order may be a way to undermine the truth of race, racism, and discrimination and how they are part of American History.
“It seems like we’re headed in the direction where there’s even an attempt to deny that the institution of slavery even existed, or that Jim Crow laws and segregation and racial violence against Black communities, Black families, Black individuals even occurred,” said historian Clarissa Myrick-Harris, a professor at Morehouse College, the historically Black campus in Atlanta, according to AP.
President Trump has offered another executive order that targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture by name and then accused the Smithsonian of trying to rewrite American History, noted AP.
The president has also ordered any statues or monuments that may portray a false narrative of history to be removed, and that’s being heavily criticized, wrote AP.
Trump’s approach is “a literal attack on Black America itself. The Black Smithsonian, as it is affectionately called, is indeed one of the heartbeats of Black America, and also one of the heartbeats” of the nation at large, said Ibram X. Kendi, the race historian and bestselling author.
Since President Trump’s inauguration, AP wrote, he has removed several diversity and inclusivity programs. Trump’s administration has also seen the removal of POC individuals in training videos for the military, as well as military personnel.
Civil rights and historians told AP they are concerned about the new actions President Trump has taken, including cutting off federal and overall government funding towards institutions that showcase U.S. history.
