Volunteers document Smithsonian amid Trump review
Two historians launched a 'Citizen Historians' volunteer effort to systematically photograph current wall text and exhibits across Smithsonian museums after the Trump administration ordered a comprehensive internal review of eight museums and issued an executive order criticizing the institution’s narratives. The organizers say hundreds of people from the D.C. area have joined to create a record of displays before any potential changes following the mid‑August directive to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III.
📊 Analysis & Commentary (1)
"The piece argues that authoritarian tactics focus on preventing common knowledge from forming—by controlling narratives and restricting speech—because widely shared facts enable collective action, and it praises independent documentation (such as preserving museum exhibits before revision) as a democratic safeguard."
📰 Sources (1)
- Mid‑August 2025: Trump administration sent a letter requiring a comprehensive internal review of eight Smithsonian museums, including American History, American Art, Natural History, and Air & Space.
- An earlier executive order in Trump’s second term accused the Smithsonian of promoting narratives that portray American and Western values as harmful.
- Historians Jim Millward (Georgetown) and Chandra Manning organized 'Citizen Historians'; hundreds of volunteers with smartphones are documenting exhibits room by room.