Congresswoman Nikema Williams Calls on Trump to Reverse Executive Order on the Smithsonian Institution and for the Protection of Black History

WASHINGTON D.C. – Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) along with Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (NY-09), pressed President Trump regarding his Executive Order accusing the Smithsonian Institution of subjecting museum attendees to “ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives that distort our shared history.” Congresswoman Nikema Williams and Congresswoman Clarke specifically wrote inquiring over the impact of this Executive Order on the preservation of The National Museum of African American History and Culture and the promotion of Black American history.

The members wrote:

“The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), since opening in 2016, has provided over 10 million visitors access to basic American history. As the largest museum dedicated to African American history and culture, NMAAHC is vital to preserving and showcasing the contributions of the African American community and the leaders who fought tirelessly to secure the promise of fundamental civil rights and human dignity for Black Americans. To erase the straightforward facts of American history is outrageous, but to purport that the NMAAHC is disseminating “divisive and indoctrinating” information is downright insulting.”

“Every year since we have been in Congress together, we have both championed robust funding for the NMAAHC within the Smithsonian Institution. In Fiscal Year 2024, Congress explicitly appropriated funds for the Smithsonian, in its entirety, including all of its museums. Your EO is in direct contravention of Congress’s decision to fund the Smithsonian in line with the congressional statutes creating each component of the institution. To defy the will of Congress is to defy the will of the people.”

“Your Administration’s repeated attempts to further marginalize Black people and rewrite history to serve your race-focused political goals are in direct opposition to Congress and the Black communities we serve.”

“We are particularly concerned that this effort comes as part of a considerable and deliberate effort by your Administration to erase any mention of the contributions Black Americans have made to our country, solely because of their race. Examples such as this, the IMLS cuts, the Department of Defense removing pages referencing Jackie Robinson’s military service, and training materials removing work of the Tuskegee Airmen, clearly communicate that Black Americans, no matter their contributions nor their bravery nor their service to our country, are not worthy of celebration nor notoriety. You continue to prioritize a political ideology that holds people, based solely on the color of their skin, as less worthy of renown.”

The letter concludes:

“I strongly encourage you to reverse course and recognize Black Americans as people worthy of having their unique and historic contributions to our country memorialized, preserved, and taught to current and future generations.” 

Read the full letter here.