In an official statement, The Smithsonian denied reports that the institution removed exhibit items from the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The April 28 statement refers to reports that the Smithsonian removed the historic Greensboro, North Carolina, lunch counter and a stool from the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of African American History and Culture in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting “unpatriotic ideology.”
However, according to the Smithsonian, the claims are false.
“Both the Greensboro lunch counter and stools where college students sat in protest during the Civil Rights Movement are and continue to be on display,” the statement read. “A stool from the sit-ins remains on view at the National Museum of African American History and Culture as the centerpiece of an interactive exhibition.”
Additionally, the Smithsonian noted that a larger portion of the Greensboro lunch counter remains on display at the National Museum of American History.
“Suggestions that the Smithsonian had planned or intended to remove these items are false,” the statement said.
The statement comes amid growing concern from museums and institutions across Washington, D.C., over potential cultural and historical erasure in response to Trump’s crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The purge has already resulted in the closure of the Smithsonian’s diversity office, the removal of historical content from government websites, and a shift in leadership at the Kennedy Center, which will no longer host World Pride events.
However, the Smithsonian clarified that the National Museum of African American History and Culture only removes items that are on loan or when necessary to preserve the condition of historical artifacts.
“Recent claims that objects have been removed for reasons other than adherence to standard loan agreements or museum practices are false,” the Smithsonian stated.
Meanwhile, Trump issued an executive order targeting the Smithsonian, claiming there has been a “concerted and widespread effort” to rewrite American history over the past decade. The order threatens to cut funding for exhibits and programs that he said “degrade shared American values,” divide people by race, or promote ideologies deemed “inconsistent” with federal policy. It specifically named the National Museum of African American History and Culture as an institution pushing “divisive, race-centered ideology.”
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