The American History Museum: An exhibition for DEI
Ever since I was in grade school, I loved visiting the National Museum of American History in Washington, one of the many Smithsonian museums scattered across the city.
Since I was a homeschooled student who grew up within easy driving distance of Washington, visiting museums was a regular part of my education, to the point where I had the layout of most of the major Smithsonian museums just about memorized. I could spend hours, days even, wandering each one, but the war and transportation exhibits at the American History Museum have always been my favorite sites to visit.
Now one of the most prominent buildings on the National Mall, the museum opened in 1964 after President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1955 authorizing its construction. Aside from a two-year closure in the 2000s for a major renovation, it has welcomed millions of visitors each year.
While the stream of visitors has remained steady over the years, the contents of the museum are constantly changing. In the years since I visited the museum as a wide-eyed youngster who was fascinated by the trains and cars from bygone eras and the heroic exploits of America’s servicemen, a new emphasis has creeped in, one that has enslaved the museum to the cultural fads of the far Left rather than celebrating the history and culture of the United States.
I had not visited the museum in nearly a decade until a few weeks ago, shortly after President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which was a shot across the bow at the Smithsonian’s standard operation.
“Once widely respected as a symbol of American excellence and a global icon of cultural achievement, the Smithsonian Institution has, in recent years, come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology,” the order reads. “This shift has promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.”
The order charges Vice President JD Vance, in his capacity as a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents and in consultation with various advisers in the administration, to “remove improper........
© Washington Examiner
