It wasn’t bad enough when the president took over the Kennedy Center. It got worse when he signed an executive order in March that accused the Smithsonian Institution of being influenced by a “diverse, race-centered ideology” because of an exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The exhibit noted that race was a factor in “maintain[ing] systems of power, privilege, and disenfranchisement.” The solution, the president concluded, was to rewrite U.S. history, as New York Times essayist David Firestone said.
Subsequently Trump ordered the Interior Department to remove descriptions from national monuments and parks that “inappropriately disparaged Americans past or present” and instead focus on the “greatness of our nation (as he sees it) and the achievement of the American people.”
Further, the president told the Smithsonian Secretary, who oversees all operations of the Institution, that he was launching “a comprehensive internal review of selected Smithsonian museums and exhibitions” in time for next year’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The review was said to be a “constructive and collaborative effort” that addresses the “curatorial process, exhibition planning, and ”narrative standards.” It’s interesting to note that museums to be especially scrutinized address African American history and culture, Native American history and culture, and the National Portrait Gallery (who’s in, who’s out). These are among the most popular and highly visited museums in the Smithsonian system. A Phase Two part of this “constructive effort” is planned. One can only wonder what’s next?
This is heartbreaking because the Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, and education and research complex. It encompasses 21 museums, 14 education and research centers, and the National Zoo. Founded in 1846 by Englishman James Smithsonian, it was meant to “preserve heritage, discover new knowledge, and share our resources with the world.”
It’s no surprise that among the president’s areas of disinterest are art, history, and culture. Nor is it surprising that he wants to erase the truth of our history, the power of art, and the relevance of various cultural heritages, traditions, and rituals so that he can create them in his own image and control the narratives that are vital to our country and the world. He dislikes the connections that can be drawn from the overlap of art, history and culture. They bore him and more importantly they threaten him. He senses that art can be a powerful interpreter of life, build bridges, and connect different cultures that transcend barriers of language, politics, and geography.
Think about the storytelling that emerges from visual art and artifacts as they highlight social issues. Look at Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms, Picasso’s Guernica, refugee photography, protest art, and more.
As Nancy Reyner wrote in the New York Times, “Art has always held a significant place in society, influencing and reflecting the culture and community it emerges from. From ancient cave paintings to contemporary digital are, the impact of art is profound and far reaching.”
She adds that “art plays a crucial role in forming and expressing cultural identity. It captures the essence of a community’s belief, traditions, and experiences preserving them for future generations,” adding that it a powerful tool for social activism. Is it any wonder Donald Trump is terrified of art?
Then there is history as prologue. There are lots of important lessons to be learned from the past. It’s useful to know, for example, about the threat of fascism in this country as well as Hitler’s Germany, along with past and current oligarchies. It’s important to understand what happened when the stock market crashed in 1929 and how the New Deal helped the country recover from the Great Depression. Slavery and racism are fundamental to our history, and so is Native American history and culture. There’s the McCarthyism scare, the Cuban Missile crisis, the Vietnam War protests, the birth of the Civil Rights movement, the emergence of the Woman’s Movement and so much more.
History opens doors to critical context for positive or dangerous events. It helps us to have crucial perspectives that influence our values, beliefs, attitudes, assumptions, and behaviors. History also helps us build empathy as we begin to understand a changing world by opening critical thinking about really important issues that we face – like now.
Culture is another influence that the president would like to ignore or destroy, because understanding other people’s way of life threatens autocracy. It connects various people and communities as we begin to share, learn, and celebrate our similarities together. We become aware of flawed prejudice; we overcome stereotypes and dismiss negative myths about The Other. We begin to realize that we are no longer living in tribal villages; we’re part of a global, diverse community that enhances our country, our relationships, and our experiences when we interact in relevant ways.
Mr. Trump and his acolytes and functionaries wish they could simply disappear these truths because they threaten their power, their dysfunctional world view, and their agenda. The day will come when that agenda fails. Perhaps we can then join the civilized nations, throughout time, that have understood and embraced the place of art, history and culture in their daily lives. They have demonstrated the extraordinary part these three humanities play in national identity, and the quality of life for their citizens. We must do the same.
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Elayne Clift writes from Brattleboro, Vt. www.elayne-clift.com