A new bill would outlaw the Smithsonian Institution from peddling wokeness and “divisive narratives,” codifying an executive order issued by President Trump back in March, its author told The Post Tuesday.
“It’s time to stop letting activists rewrite our past,” said Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who introduced the “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History Act.”
“This bill puts President Trump’s order into law to ensure our national museums celebrate our values, our heroes, and what makes America great.”
Since the US was rocked by race riots in the spring and summer of 2020, the Smithsonian’s taxpayer-funded museums have been criticized by Republicans and independents for embracing far-left talking points and interpretations.
In one egregious example, the National Museum of African American History and Culture published a graphic claiming that “objective, rational, linear thinking,” “quantitative emphasis” and the attutide of “hard work before play” were “white” qualities.
The museum later apologized for the incendiary display.
In 2019, new Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch told Smithsonian Magazine: “I want the Smithsonian to legitimize important issues, whether it’s 1619 or climate change,” referring to the New York Times’ hotly debated 1619 Project about the role of slavery in shaping America.
“We help people think about what’s important, what they should debate, what they should embrace,” added Bunch, who is still in his job as the head of the Smithsonian. “Everybody that thought about the 1619 Project, whether they liked it or disagreed with it, saw that the Smithsonian had fingerprints on it. And that, to me, was a great victory.”