by Breanna Reeves
Since returning to office in January, President Donald Trump has issued 152 executive orders, each chipping away at different federal programs, policies and laws that claim to “restore” America.
As the Trump administration attributes dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives as an act of restoration, others attribute it to a mass erasure — erasure of African American historical artifacts, erasure of Black contributions to this country, erasure of Black innovation.
In March, Trump signed an executive order, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which accuses museums such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), a Smithsonian Institution, for spreading “improper partisan ideology.”
As the order took effect, reports of artifacts being removed and returned to their owners by the museum surfaced, as well as the removal of the historic Greensboro, North Carolina lunch counter and a stool.
A statement released in response by the Smithsonian stated that these procedures are routine, and confirmed that the historic Greensboro stool and counter are still on display.
“Further, the Smithsonian routinely returns loaned artifacts per applicable loan agreements and rotates objects on display in accordance with the Smithsonian’s high standards of care and preservation and as part of our regular museum turnover,” according to the statement. “Recent claims that objects have been removed for reasons other than adherence to standard loan agreements or museum practices are false.”
The executive order also extends beyond physical museums as the National Parks Service removed Harriet Tubman’s image and a quote from its website that is dedicated to the Underground Railroad. References to “enslaved” people and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 were also removed.
While the webpage was eventually restored after public outcry, and some of these artifacts still remain on display, it’s unclear for how long and raises larger concerns about what happens when physical artifacts disappear and how Black history can be kept alive and chronicled outside of museums.
