Whether you agree with the argument or not, Donald Trump sure has sparked a lively discussion on America’s legacy of slavery. He replaced a Confederate statue of Albert Pike and jurisdictionally cleansed retorts that sound like the century-old “lost cause” myth. This ideology seeks to play down the ugly truths of chattel bondage. Groups such as the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) have played a major role in reinforcing this false narrative. In a series of public comments and social media posts, Trump has expressed concerns regarding exhibits at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), prompting discussions about his influence on cultural institutions.
The NMAAHC, which opened its doors in 2016, has welcomed over 10 million visitors, offering a comprehensive exploration of Black life in the United States across seven floors and twelve galleries. This week, Trump personally criticized the museum’s displays on slavery. This action responds to his direction to government lawyer squads to find a money-saving eliminate for these political billboards. His actions have raised alarms among cultural leaders and historians who view his influence as an attempt to enforce a political narrative onto historical interpretation.
In his speech, Trump argues that less than 2 percent of white Americans owned slaves. This statement is reminiscent of the Lost Cause ideological undercurrent that attempts to deflect attention away from our nation’s collective guilt over slavery. This rhetoric mirrors rhetoric from other public officials. It furthers some deeply entrenched narratives that serve to excuse white Americans from their past culpability.
“You cannot tie slavery to just one race, which is what every single exhibit [at NMAAHC] does,” – Jillian Michaels.
Michaels, a celebrity trainer and media entrepreneur, has been pushing the narrative that slavery talk has gone too far. This type of comment is indicative of a new reality on the right to question the stories told by museums and other cultural agencies.
Trump has previously lauded the NMAAHC, calling it “a shining example of African Americans’ incredible contributions to our culture, our society and our history.” The criticisms he has made of the standards lately indicate he’s moving towards creating and enforcing a revisionist history that better serves his political agenda.
His Truth Social post announcing the review of NMAAHC’s slavery exhibits highlights the latter. The post stated, “the HOTTEST Country in the World, and we want people to talk about it, including in our Museums.” This troubling directive aims to make cultural institutions the front lines of political warfare, not impartial arenas for the teaching of history.
The UDC has been working to revise the narrative surrounding the Confederacy for decades, if not centuries. Founded on the eve of the bloodiest war America ever fought, the group sought to restore slavery’s respectable image by remaking the Confederacy’s gory legacy. This was not the first time Trump has tried to downplay the brutality of slavery. Or they aim to downplay its monstrous legacy of crushing dreams for multitudes of black Americans.
Critics have drawn parallels between Trump’s recent statements and those made by late sociologist and historian James Loewen, who studied Confederate monuments across the United States. Loewen’s work exposes time and time again how histories – or sometimes the lack of histories – are rewritten to further advance certain agendas. This misinformation directly influences public support and historical interpretation.
Trump’s actions exceed just his incendiary language. They reflect a larger cultural clash. This ongoing battle even extends to the way that American museums and other institutions teach history. These debates over race and heritage continue to play out right now. At risk are cultural institutions like the NMAAHC that might otherwise flourish as important sites of learning, healing and celebration.
Many fear that if Trump’s narrative takes hold, it could undermine efforts to confront the ongoing legacy of racism and inequality in America. More recently, the NMAAHC contributes to our collective education and reflection, making it a truly gigantic resource of profound impact. It brings visitors profound understandings of the intricacies of Black history.