Trump’s New Order Targets the African American Museum and DEI in an attempt to rewrite Black history at the Smithsonian

Trump’s executive order, which aims to transform the country’s most prestigious museums, beginning with the National Museum of African American History and Culture, has sparked a cultural firestorm.

The administration cites Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs as part of a drive to “rewrite American history,” and the 2025 directive directs the Smithsonian Institution to stop what it refers to as “divisive” and “improper ideological” programming.

Trump specifically criticized the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), which has welcomed millions of visitors since its debut in 2016, for spreading what he calls “distorted” narratives about the origins and development of the United States.

At a White House signing ceremony held behind closed doors, Trump stated, “There has been a conscious attempt to replace objective facts with ideology.” “Americans should not be divided by their political views, gender, or race; rather, our museums should bring them together.”

VP JD Vance will be in charge of reviewing all of the institution’s programs, exhibitions, and material under the directive. His responsibility is to eliminate anything that is “inconsistent with federal law and policy” or “degrades shared American values.”

The National Zoo and all 21 of the Smithsonian’s museums are affected by the executive order, but the emphasis on the African American museum has sparked the most outrage. Trump’s order describes a number of displays as encouraging racial discord, especially those that deal with systematic inequity, slavery, segregation, and police brutality.

Decades of labor devoted to presenting the complete picture of the Black experience in America have been undermined by the move, which critics believe is an obvious attempt to whitewash American history.

One prominent historian who wished to remain nameless stated, “Unity is not the point of this.” The inconvenient facts that contradict the sanitized America Trump seeks to advance must be erased.

The government insists that the planned Women’s History Museum “not recognize men as women in any respect,” and the edict also requires that DEI-related displays be removed or redesigned throughout the Smithsonian system.

Several monuments, statues, and memorials that have been taken down since 2020—many of which were taken down in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement—will be restored by Trump, according to the Interior Department.

Those monuments were taken down, according to the administration, as part of a “false reconstruction of American history.” This directive is seen by Trump, who has frequently shown contempt for the BLM and social justice movements, as a cultural corrective.

In the meantime, public opposition is being called for by civil rights organizations, educators, and museum professionals across.

“This is about multiple museums,” an NAACP representative stated. “Under the pretense of unity, it concerns whether we permit our government to erase Black history.”

Now, the future of cultural organizations such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture might be at stake.