President Trump has signed an executive order that directs Vice President JD Vance to eliminate “divisive narratives” and “improper ideology” from Smithsonian museums, educational and research centers, and the National Zoo.
My immediate reaction? Surely, you jest, sir. There may not be any area of American discourse that is more divisive or conflict-ridden than the arena of race.
kAmpD x 92G6 H:E?6DD65 >2?J E:>6D :? E96 A2DE[ C246 2D 2 E@A:4 @7 4@?G6CD2E:@? :D 2 =@E =:<6 D6Ii tG6CJ3@5J E9:?<D E96J 2C6 6IA6CE 2E :E[ J6E H6 p>6C:42?D 42? 36 A2:?7F==J C6=F4E2?E E@ E2=< 23@FE :E :? >:I65 4@>A2?J @C :? 7C@?E @7 @FC 49:=5C6?]k^Am
kAm(9:49 >:89E 6IA=2:? H9J %CF>A’D 6I64FE:G6 @C56C :>>65:2E6=J 92?565 E96 9JA6CD6?D:E:G6 E2D< @7 :?DA64E:?8 >FD6F> 6I9:3:ED 7@C :56@=@8J E@ 9:D G:46 AC6D:56?E]k^Am
kAmp?5 H9@ 56E6C>:?6D H92E :56@=@8J :D “AC@A6Cn” x DFDA64E E92E v6@C86 ~CH6== H@F=5 36 5:D>2J65 3J E9:D 56G6=@A>6?E]k^Am
kAmx? %CF>A’VD 6I64FE:G6 @C56C =2DE >@?E9[ E:E=65 “#6DE@C:?8 %CFE9 2?5 $2?:EJ E@ p>6C:42? w:DE@CJ[” 96 56?@F?465 H92E 96 56D4C:365 2D 2 “C6G:D:@?:DE >@G6>6?E” 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ[ @?6 E92E “D66<D E@ F?56C>:?6 E96 C6>2C<23=6 249:6G6>6?ED @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 3J 42DE:?8 :ED 7@F?5:?8 AC:?4:A=6D 2?5 9:DE@C:42= >:=6DE@?6D :? 2 ?682E:G6 =:89E]”k^Am
kAm%CF>A’D @C56C 4C:E:4:K65 E96 $>:E9D@?:2?VD }2E:@?2= |FD6F> @7 p7C:42? p>6C:42? w:DE@CJ 2?5 rF=EFC6 7@C 2 8C2A9:4 A@DE65 @?=:?6 :? |2J a_a_ E92E[ x 28C66[ D9@F=5 ?@E 92G6 366? A@DE65] xE C676CC65 E@ “92C5 H@C<[” “:?5:G:5F2=:D>” 2?5 “E96 ?F4=62C 72>:=J” 2D A2CE @7 “H9:E6 4F=EFC6]”k^Am
kAm%96 8C2A9:4 H9:49 92D 5C2H? 4@?56>?2E:@? 367@C6[ H2D DH:7E=J C6>@G65 27E6C {@??:6 qF?49[ H9@ D:?46 a__d 92D 366? 7@F?5:?8 5:C64E@C @7 E96 p7C:42? p>6C:42? >FD6F>[ 28C665 :E H2D :?2AAC@AC:2E6] $@ 5:5 x] *@F 5:5?’E 92G6 E@ 36 2 4@?D6CG2E:G6 E@ 36 566A=J @776?565 3J E92E :==\:?DA:C65 6I4FD6 7@C D2E:C6]k^Am
kAmqFE[ 964<[ H6’C6 E2=<:?8 23@FE 9:DE@CJ[ C:89En }@ 4@F?ECJ’D 9:DE@CJ :D A6C764E[ @C 6G6? 4@?D:DE6?E :? :ED =6256CD’ 6DA@FD65 36=:67D] $@>6 @7 FD DE:== 2C8F6 23@FE H92E %9@>2D y6776CD@?[ 2 ':C8:?:2 D=2G6 @H?6C[ >62?E 3J “p== >6? 2C6 4C62E65 6BF2=]”k^Am
kAm%92E’D E96 362FEJ @7 E96 u:CDE p>6?5>6?E[ :? >J G:6H] (6 ?665 E@ E2=< E96D6 4@?7=:4E:?8 36=:67D @FE[ ?@E E62C @FCD6=G6D 2A2CE :? 2 ?6H 4:G:= H2C 6G6CJ 76H J62CD]k^Am
kAmx? 9:D 6I64FE:G6 @C56C[ %CF>A 42==65 7@C C6D92A:?8 E96 $>:E9D@?:2?[ :?E@ 2 “DJ>3@= @7 :?DA:C2E:@? 2?5 p>6C:42? 8C62E?6DD]” x E9@F89E :E 2=C625J H2D] *6E[ 2D %CF>A’D ;F>3=65 5C:G6 7@C “8@G6C?>6?E 677:4:6?4J” 92D D9@H? FD[ ;FDE 3642FD6 D@>6 8@G6C?>6?E 6?E:EJ :D?VE 3C@<6 5@6D?’E >62? %CF>A H@?’E ECJ E@ 7:I :E 2?JH2J]k^Am
kAmqJ D:?8=:?8 @FE E96 $>:E9D@?:2?VD p7C:42? p>6C:42? 9:DE@CJ >FD6F>[ %CF>A 7F6=65 DA64F=2E:@? E92E :E 4@F=5 364@>6 2 42DF2=EJ @7 E96 25>:?:DEC2E:@?VD H:56C H2C @? stx[ 4C:E:42= C246 E96@CJ 2?5 @E96C 24256>:4 A@:?ED @7 G:6H E92E 4C:E:4D 7:?5 62D:6C E@ 56?@F?46 E92? F?56CDE2?5]k^Am
kAmuC2?<=J[ x E9:?< %CF>A D9@F=5 766= C6=:6G65 E92E E96 >FD6F>’D >2?J 6I9:3:ED 5@ ?@E 9:89=:89E 9:D @H? D6EE=6>6?E @7 2 `hfb C24:2= 5:D4C:>:?2E:@? 42D6 282:?DE 9:D 72E96C 2?5 9:>D6=7[ 3C@F89E 3J E96 yFDE:46 s6A2CE>6?E 7@C E96 %CF>ADV 2==6865 C67FD2= E@ C6?E 2A2CE>6?ED :? AC65@>:?2?E=J H9:E6 3F:=5:?8D E@ q=24< E6?2?ED]k^Am
kAm%6DE:>@?J D9@H65 E92E E96 2AA=:42E:@?D 7:=65 3J q=24< 2A2CE>6?E D66<6CD H6C6 >2C<65 H:E9 2 “r’’ 7@C “4@=@C65[” 2 EC:4< E92E H2D 92C5=J F?:BF6 :? E9@D6 52JD[ 2D 7656C2= 2?E:5:D4C:>:?2E:@? =2HD H6C6 86EE:?8 @77 E96 8C@F?5] p D6EE=6>6?E E92E 6?565 E96 =2HDF:E 5:5 ?@E C6BF:C6 E96 %CF>AD E@ 6IA=:4:E=J 24<?@H=6586 E92E 5:D4C:>:?2E:@? 925 @44FCC65 — 3FE E96 8@G6C?>6?E’D 56D4C:AE:@? @7 E96 D6EE=6>6?E D2:5 %CF>A 2?5 9:D 72E96C 925 “72:=65 2?5 ?68=64E65” E@ 4@>A=J H:E9 E96 u2:C w@FD:?8 p4E]k^Am
kAm}@H :E :D qF?49 H9@ 7:?5D 9:>D6=7 @? E96 9@E D62E @7 H92E >:89E H6== 36 @?6 >@C6 6A:D@56 @7 %CF>A:2? C6EC:3FE:@?]k^Am
kAmqF?49 H2D 2? 6I46==6?E 49@:46[ :? >J ?@E\D@\9F>3=6 @A:?:@?] x’G6 4@G6C65 E96 }6H y6CD6J ?2E:G6 @77 2?5 @? D:?46 96 3642>6 AC6D:56?E 2?5 5:C64E@C @7 E96 r9:428@ w:DE@CJ |FD6F>] x? a_`h[ 96 3642>6 E96 7:CDE 9:DE@C:2? 2?5 7:CDE p7C:42? p>6C:42? E@ =625 E96 $>:E9D@?:2? :? :ED `fb\J62C 9:DE@CJ]k^Am
kAm%96C6’D ?@E9:?8 :?EC:?D:42==J C25:42= 23@FE E96 “q=24<D@?:2?[” 2D D@>6 @7 >J q=24< (2D9:?8E@? 7C:6?5D C6DA64E7F==J 42== E96 }2E:@?2= |FD6F> @7 p7C:42? p>6C:42? w:DE@CJ 2?5 rF=EFC6] x[ 7@C @?6[ 46=63C2E6 E96 >FD6F> 2D 2?@E96C 3:8 DE6A :? @FC ?6G6C\6?5:?8 >2C49 E@ AFCDF6 E96 :562=D E92E[ 2D %CF>A’D @C56C DE2E6D[ “4@?E:?F6 E@ :?DA:C6 >:==:@?D 2C@F?5 E96 8=@36]”k^Am
kAm%92E’D 2 AC@A6C 6?@F89 :56@=@8J E@ >6]k^Am
