The White House has called for a far-reaching review of Smithsonian museum exhibitions in order to ensure they align with President Trump’s interpretation of U.S. history. “The idea that the Smithsonian — which was created as an independent entity — should reflect any administration’s vision of history, and not the vision of the historians and the researchers and the other people who devote their lives to studying these things, is more than problematic,” says Annette Gordon-Reed, professor of history at Harvard University, president of the Organization of American Historians and an award-winning author.
The Trump administration and the Department of Education are also currently partnering with PragerU, a controversial conservative media company, to make educational materials. “This is a whitewashing of history under the guise of making white children feel better about themselves,” says Gordon-Reed. PragerU content has already been approved for use in public schools in 10 states across the country.
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Democracy Now! | Radio Free (2025-08-18T12:45:03+00:00) “Whitewashing of History”: Harvard Historian on Trump’s Targeting of School Curricula, Smithsonian. Retrieved from https://www.radiofree.org/2025/08/18/whitewashing-of-history-harvard-historian-on-trumps-targeting-of-school-curricula-smithsonian/
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