Black churches are rallying behind the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture as Trump’s new order threatens its future.
The support comes after Trump released an executive order on March 27 attacking the mission of the Smithsonian museums, directly mentioning the African American museum. The order left many concerned about the continuation of these exhibits under the Trump administration, leading Black clergymen to take a stand. Since then there has been reports of artifacts and exhibits are being removed from the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The museum follows the journey and plight of Black America from the days of enslavement to its place in the nation’s cultural relevance and history. One pastor, wanting to showcase his solidarity with the museum, added the establishment on his monthly walking journey to advocate for equality.
“I laid my wreath down there to show solidarity with the museum and the history that they present every day,” said Rev. Robert Turner, pastor of Empowerment Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore, to the Associated Press.
Once a month, Turner walks from his Baltimore home to Washington, D.C. as an act of advocacy for reparations for Black people and other pertinent issues. Now, his trip has included a new stop toward the museum, where Turner and his congregation have pledged to support.
He joined other church communities in obtaining memberships for the museum. Starting at $25, members can financially help the museum’s efforts and mission to showcase Black history.
Other pastors and their churches have joined the effort, such as Rev. Otis Moss III of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago and Rev. Jacqui J. Lewis, senior minister at Middle Church in New York City. Lewis says her congregation made another significant donation to the museum on Easter, a move made to combat the President’s policies against the learning center.
“We belonged to the museum since its opening, and we just made another donation to them in light of this administration’s policies,” she told the AP.
The museum’s leadership has seen some change in light of the order. Its executive director, Kevin Young, left the role in early April. Democrat lawmakers have also spoken out about the potential stripping of the its teachings.
Although Trump has yet to state any budget cuts, he did place Vice President J.D. Vance as a member on the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents to remove “improper ideology” from the institutions. Trump also pledged to “restore” the institutional to its “rightful place as a symbol of inspiration and American greatness.”
However, as the National Museum directly calls attention to American slavery, this showcase of the darker side of the nation’s history conflicts with Trump’s vision. Furthermore, the president has already began the process of removing certain artifacts from its premises.
Now, supporters of the museum are on the defense to ensure it can continue displaying the full scope of American history.
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