Who Gets to Tell America’s Story? Congress Debates the Smithsonian’s Role.

A White House report criticizing the Smithsonian National Museum of American History’s portrayal of America's past has sparked a broader debate among members of Congress on whether museums should highlight the nation’s achievements, confront its failures or strike a balance between the two.

On July 4, President Donald Trump’s administration accused the Smithsonian of promoting a “politically loaded” and biased view of American history based on its exhibits honoring America’s 250th birthday. This week, members of Congress examined the dispute by questioning how the nation’s history should be presented in public institutions.

Who Tells America’s Tale?

Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX) said that because history plays an important role in shaping today’s conversations, it is crucial that museums and other public institutions not “color” historical accounts with personal beliefs or biases.

“I think we hopefully would all agree that you need to take great care when presenting history,” Rep. Fallon said. “It needs to be fair and balanced and as objective as any human being can be.”

Rep. Fallon said that because taxpayer dollars fund the Smithsonian, it has a heightened obligation to the American people. Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX) echoed a similar sentiment, expressing concern over what he described as the distortion of historical truth and context.

“What's concerning is the distortion, I think, of the truth and in the context,” Rep. Cloud said.

The Congressman pointed to one exhibit, “American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith,” as a prime example of this “distortion.” The exhibit includes a wall with just two words: privilege and slavery.

“Is that a part of American history? Sure. Should it be covered up? No,” Rep. Cloud clarified. “But what makes America unique and exceptional isn't, for example, the fact that slavery was a part of our history.”

Rep. Cloud argued the museum had an obligation to highlight what America has “worked to overcome” as a leading nation, not the wrongs in its history that also belong to “almost every” nation’s history.

Fighting for the Full Story 

But Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) countered that it is the “uncomfortable” pieces of history that should remain most prominent in institutions like the Smithsonian.

“Facts are facts, and it's a fact that there is a violent, exclusionary, discriminatory, sexist and racist part of American history,” Rep. Crockett said.

Without institutions like the Smithsonian, Rep. Crockett said Americans risk losing opportunities to confront the full scope of the past. She argued that the greater threat is not examining the country’s wrongdoings, but allowing a lack of education to create space for hate to grow.

“Attacks on the Smithsonian or any other institution that's willing to tell the true history of America is not only an attempt to rewrite history; it's an attempt to erase history,” Rep. Crockett said.