Lonnie Bunch Defends Smithsonian After White House Criticism

WASHINGTON (AURN News) — Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III is pushing back after the White House Domestic Policy Council released a July 4 report accusing the National Museum of American History of “anti-Americanism” and “extreme political activism.” In an email to colleagues, Bunch said the report is “not a fair characterization” of the museum’s work.

He said the Smithsonian remains committed to scholarship, accuracy, nonpartisanship, independence and telling the fullness of America’s story.

The dispute comes as the nation marks 250 years and as the Trump administration continues efforts to reshape cultural and historical institutions. The White House Domestic Policy Council report, “Saving America’s Story,” specifically criticized the way the museum preserves U.S. history.

For Black America, this is a battle over whether America’s story will include slavery, resistance, civil rights and the people who forced this country to live closer to its promises.

Bunch wrote that the Smithsonian is “the glue that holds the nation together.”

Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.

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