Smithsonian begins removing exhibits, artifacts from African American History Museum

[Eugene]

Source: DC News Now

Smithsonian begins removing exhibits, artifacts from African American History Museum

by: Daniel Hamburg
Posted: Apr 25, 2025 / 10:32 PM EDT
Updated: Apr 26, 2025 / 10:31 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Some artifacts and exhibits are being removed from the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

It comes a month after President Trump’s executive order to remove what he calls “improper ideology” from Smithsonian museums.

-snip-

Civil rights activist and San Francisco Pastor Rev. Dr. Amos Brown received an email this month stating that his artifacts were being returned.

The Smithsonian told him, “Your books are delicate. Well, they know how to preserve things,” Brown said. “I did not get an email saying we are temporarily sending it back for repair, or we are going to repair. It was this general email saying we are sending back to you your book, your bible.”

Since 2016, the museum has had Brown’s bible from when he went to demonstrations with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesse Jackson.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.dcnewsnow.com/news/local-news/washington-dc/smithsonian-begins-removing-exhibits-artifacts-from-african-american-history-museum/

Alternate link: https://www.yahoo.com/news/smithsonian-begins-removing-exhibits-artifacts-023207414.html

[CrispyQ]

1. I have no words for how angry this makes me.

White-man culture. That's all we'll be allowed if someone doesn't stop this shit.

[democrank]

8. My sentiments exactly

White rule….it already is all that’s allowed

[Cha]

24. And Heartbroken All at the same time..

Here's to it returning someday.

[calimary]

35. And even more alienated than I was, before.

I keep reminding myself that “NOTHING lasts forever. Not even the donald.” But I’m not sure I’ll live long enough to see that.

[Cha]

36. Here's to All of us out Living the

the Treasonous Tyrant in the WH.

Seriously!

[Lonestarblue]

43. We may outlive Trump, but his poison has infected the whole Republican Party and right-wing media.

We will not easily rid ourselves of the white supremacy and misogyny that are now embedded in a large share of the population.

[niyad]

27. I have plenty of words. Most of them would net me a visit from the suits.

[c-rational]

31. Don't just get mad, vow to get even.

[Irish_Dem]

2. Trump is destroying American history, culture, society.

Only white christian males will be left.

[Grim Chieftain]

4. I agree

These white Christian males are following someone who is more like Satan and Hitler than Christ.

[Irish_Dem]

5. White males are only 30% of the US population, and ruling like Satanic Hitler clones.

[Grim Chieftain]

6. Agree completely

[DonCoquixote]

18. yes

k&r

[Frances]

23. Agree 100%

Old Testsment: Trump has broken several of the Ten Commandments multiple times.
New Testatment: Trump’s actions are the opposite of Jesus’ parable about the Good Samaritan
And the opposite of Jesus’ words, “ Suffer the little children to come to me.” Trump is separating the little children from their parents. And he is deporting American born pre-school children with cancer.
On Judgment day, Trump supporters will not be standing with the sheep. Trump supporters will be standing with the goats.
Trump is leading his supporters straight to hell.
That’s if you believe the Bible.

[ananda]

7. I wonder what the gestation machines will look like.

Barbie machine 7832?

[delisen]

12. Are they making plans to stuff Kristi Noem when the time comes?

Or will they just exhibit her lips, her gun, and a dog to illustrate the ideal white patriarchal female?

Personally I think that Roy Rogers stuffing his horse, Trigger, for exhibition was ok, the full Kristi should also be memorialized. MAGA is not a halfway measures movement.

[Irish_Dem]

53. The Trump Barbie doll line will roll out.

Action Figure Barbie
Porn Barbie
Bondage Barbie
Trump Tramp Barbie
First Ho Barbie
Incest Barbie

Men can pick their favorite Barbie gestation machine.

[ananda]

55. LOL

[CBHagman]

47. Well, no, they won't, and we can push back now.

This administration has caved on things, and though it remains as racist AF, we have an obligation to keep at it. Generations are depending on us to do the right thing now, today.

Everybody (Congress, the Shite House, et al.) needs to hear from us, loudly.

[Irish_Dem]

54. Yes it is totally up to We The People.

Most of our leaders have abandoned us.

[underpants]

3. I'm surprised they didn't shut the whole thing down

Jesus this pisses me off.

[hannah]

9. It's horrible

I don’t see this mentioned by the media.

[yellowdogintexas]

32. It is probably a good thing the items are being returned, to prevent potential looting

and damage. There are some horrible people in this country these days, and there is always the potential for breakins and destruction of important items.

It is still absolutely disgusting.

[JHB]

37. This is the prelude to that happening.

[CBHagman]

48. I'm going to have to check the law, but I don't think they can do that...

Mind you, they have been conducting mass firings, which are illegal, as far as I know, but Trump is infamous for dragging out court cases.

In any event, I don't think they can just shutter things, and it's more a matter of pick, pick, picking at things.

[sinkingfeeling]

10. Let's just erase all our history. Start fresh with TSF

[MuseRider]

11. My god we have to find a way to stop this!

At the very least we could scream about them until they grow sick of it (would they?) or we break apart beating our heads on the wall (something I am very good at) for fucking ever if needs be. We all need a person, at least, or persons in our own state governments to who would take on these issues with us, again at the very least.

We put together a coalition in Kansas to fight the Right who were going after the LGBTQ community. We started out full barreled. We ended up with some good law and a much better attitude in our state. As soon as those of us who did all that and we needed to rest it fell apart. Put together something and start working on it even if it is late and make as much noise as possible. DO it in 25 different ways and never stop. Toe to toe face them down. Remember to take the rests. You need to because if you have not done this it is brutal and I mean that. We have lost a lot of ground because those of us who started it were emotionally gone after the 10 or so years we spent building it. This is a whole different ball game but it is the same reason for fighting, it almost always is.

I have been down for a while, getting too old to do what I did before but I would do anything I could to help all this along. We HAVE NO CHOICE now and our legislators should be hearing that every waking minute.

This is our job but it is also theirs and if they are not interested we must make them do it. Let them see your name on their call list 5 or 10 times a day. Get your friends and go to their offices or at least call. That can sometimes be fun because they will tell you without saying it more than you can get out yourself. I haunted The RedNeck Rapper for some time. He would start "rapping" in his office the moment I walked in. It was just awful. BUT you have to do it. He did not change I seem to remember he did not say as much after so you never know but it was done.

EVERY DAY. Get a group and make a plan. You can fight it from anywhere.

[CBHagman]

49. You are heroic.

And yes, I keep various numbers on speed dial.

[MuseRider]

52. I am not a bit heroic but I am stubborn as hell when it comes to

my friends.

[wendyb-NC]

13. That's outrageous

It makes me sick to my stomach.

[erronis]

14. James Smithson would be appalled at what is happening by the bigots in this country

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Smithson

Even though Smithson was a wealthy white man he donated his wealth (via a nephew Hungerford) towards knowledge:

I then bequeath the whole of my property, . . . to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase & diffusion of knowledge among men.[19]

[IronLionZion]

16. Yup, he explicitly wanted the US to gain more knowledge and understanding

a very noble goal.

[IronLionZion]

15. From the "you can't erase history" people

Last edited Sun Apr 27, 2025, 06:17 PM - Edit history (1)

this is what happens when people learn history from confederate statues instead of museums, books, or school. Doomed to repeat history.

[OverBurn]

17. How low can they go, lower than anyone even imagined.

[surfered]

19. It's monstrous! Revisionists!

[Behind the Aegis]

20. This is disgusting and disturbing.

It is a fantastic museum. My husband I went a few years back and we were there for almost three hours! And that was moving at more than slow pace, but not brisk! We spent over $500 in the gift shop.

This is not "whitewashing", this is outright erasure. What about the other museums in the vicinity which shine a harsh, but accurate light on the history of the US and the world, including many exhibits in the main part of the Smithsonian itself?!

[dchill]

21. Who ARE these weak, cowardly, insecure beta-males...

...who are shitting out their souls and their pride while carrying out the wishes of their perceived alpha leaders? They cannot be repaired in time to save our country. Can they be stopped?

[highplainsdem]

22. This sort of thing is obscene and should be front page news. The only reason that

Trump's declining approval rating isn't much lower is that RW media covers almost none of what he's really doing, and MSM carry too little of it.

[Botany]

25. Racism it is what is for breakfast with Trump.

Everybody working at the Smithsonian should quit. This will not change our history

[Bengus81]

29. No they should all stand together and tell Trump to FUCK OFF.

[niyad]

26. GOD DAMN the smithsonian for kissing that fucking orange RAPIST/TRAITOR**'s

ass. I have lost all respect for them.

[Bengus81]

28. WTF?

Hell...send Lindbergh's aircraft back to St. Louis and anything Apollo related back to NASA. Those flights never happened.

Oh boy....everyone can play the Trump game.

[Keepthesoulalive]

30. Trump's works to outrage people

It takes their minds off the other stuff he’s doing. Black people will persevere, he won’t erase our 300 year history in this country because many of us know it by heart. There is an oral tradition and because of the danger we face we teach our children.

[SSJVegeta]

33. But tearing downa a confederate statue is "removing history"

[niyad]

34. The museum says it is merely returning items on loan, as per standard

museum practice.

[Skittles]

38. "WHITE-washing" history

to make it more endearing to nazi snowflakes

[Blue Owl]

39. trump is the curator of RACISM

[Joinfortmill]

40. Despicable

[58Sunliner]

41. Filthy Nazis are trying to distort history.

I was listening to public radio the other day and as we know Lake has taken over the USAGM which also will politicize record keeping. Marc Thiessen and Ilan Berman join RFE/RL Board of Directors-Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty so the gaslighting will be international.

[Mr. Jinx]

42. I'm furious about this.

This isn't about "improper ideology," it's erasure. When you have small-minded people who fear it, this is what happens. History can course-correct over the course of time, but never when its existence is denied.

[patphil]

44. I never thought I'd live to see the National Museum editing history.

[karin_sj]

45. This turns my stomach

It's so blatantly obvious that they are in the process of negating every accomplishment, every expression, everything they can to fulfill their cruel, racist, evil goals of erasing people of color, women, and the gay/trans community from our country. It's beyond my comprehension the sheer number of people that are destroying our country and its ideals, from top to bottom. And the people who seem to be cheering this on, or just not caring about what is happening is mind boggling as well.

[Martin68]

46. TheI thought I knew a lot about slavery, but the exhibits at the African American History Museum made me realize I

knew very little. Dismantling any of their exhibits is a crime against humanity.

[TheJillMill]

50. My "Good" Niece...

... my oldest nephew's wife has been working at the National Museum of African American History and Culture since it opened, almost all from home now and was at another branch of the Smithsonian before that (a total of almost 20 years). She is worried about her job because after they fire probationary employees, they'll probably go after the ones with the most seniority.

[atreides1]

51. Changes coming

There will be a movie theater for visitors showing two movies: Disney's "Song of the South" and D.W. Griffith's "The Birth of A Nation"!