Trump's latest executive order wipes Black history off museum walls

Participants and owners of valuable historical items on loan to the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) report a mass removal of artifacts.

The removals are reportedly linked to an executive order signed by Donald Trump in March 2025, which tasked Vice President JD Vance with "cleansing the Smithsonian Institution of ideologies that divide society or undermine American values."

"Once widely respected as a symbol of American greatness, the Smithsonian Institution has in recent years come under the influence of an ideology that falsely portrays the West as an oppressive civilization," the order states.

According to civil rights activist Rev. Amos Brown, he was recently informed that two of his artifacts would be returned: an 1880 book documenting the history of African Americans, and a Bible he carried during marches alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesse Jackson.

"It is demeaning and utterly dishonest," Brown said. "I hope people of conscience will stand up and say: 'Enough!'"

Public outcry and the museum's response

Museum visitors have noticed that several iconic artifacts are missing.

Virginia resident Aaron Weaver said, "I didn't see Nat Turner's Bible. The Greensboro lunch counter table was also gone, though the digital display remained."

Some tourists rushed to see the exhibits before more changes could be made.

The Smithsonian's press office stated: "Rev. Brown's artifacts are being returned in accordance with the expiration of the loan agreement. This is standard museum practice."

The museum also clarified that one of the original stools from the Greensboro lunch counter remains on display.

Still, many are not convinced. "This is an attempt to rewrite history," Weaver said. "You can't erase the African American experience — it is part of the American experience."

A broader rollback of reform

This is not an isolated incident. Over the past month, Donald Trump has signed several controversial executive orders.

US President Donald Trump (Photo: Getty Images)

On April 18, he authorized commercial fishing in a 490,000-square-mile protected Pacific marine reserve, lifting a 15-year ban.

Scientists warn this could have catastrophic consequences for marine ecosystems. "It will disrupt population balance, reduce biodiversity, and lower reproductive output," said ecologist Alan Friedlander.

Then, on April 21, the Trump administration cut federal funding for "road diet" projects — proven traffic-calming designs that reduce crashes.

Instead of supporting safer street layouts, the administration is now promoting highway expansions, ignoring statistics on improved road safety.

Trump's policies increasingly threaten historical memory, environmental protection, and public safety alike.