DeKalb GA News

President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at removing what he describes as "a divisive, race-centered ideology" from Smithsonian Museums. The order, issued on Thursday, tasks Interior Secretary Doug Burgum with evaluating whether any public monuments or similar historical properties were altered during the Biden administration to support what Trump calls a "false reconstruction of American history."

The executive order singles out the Smithsonian Institution, which it claims has been influenced by ideologies that interpret American and Western values as harmful. Specific references are made to exhibits such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum's “The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture,” which addresses the role of race in maintaining societal power dynamics and challenges the concept of race as a biological reality.

Further criticism is leveled at the National Museum of African American History and Culture for presenting attributes like "hard work" and "individualism" as aspects of "White culture," and at the planned Smithsonian American Women's History Museum for potentially celebrating male athletes in women's sports.

Trump emphasized the intention behind the order: museums and federal history sites should focus on celebrating America's historical achievements and fostering public understanding, free of divisive narratives. His administration aims to restore the Smithsonian as a symbol of American creativity and historical richness, with Vice President J.D. Vance leading this initiative.

The order concludes with a statement of policy to ensure that such institutions serve as places of learning and inspiration for future generations.