Museums, libraries and arts institutions that hold our living and breathing story as a nation are under attack. On March 27, President Donald Trump engaged in this attack by signing an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” These attacked organizations make up our cultural heritage like a patchwork quilt stitched together from diverse fabrics, each representing contributions from different communities. This executive order, however, aims to rip out specific patches under the guise of restoration, leaving behind an incomplete tapestry.
What is deeply concerning is the executive order’s apparent alignment with principles of an ideology that prioritizes the dominance of white individuals over others by marginalizing non-white voices in the narrative of our history. The “Purpose and Policy” section misguidedly proclaims that any focus on the country’s history that does not extol the pure, unassailable virtues of our nation’s Founding Fathers — who were all white men — is a subversive effort to undermine America’s dominant power in the world.
The pressing question is why there is a need for such an executive order.
Applying a white supremacist lens over our history distorts our view, like how a cracked mirror’s image reflects a fractured and incomplete interpretation. The ironically named “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” executive order hopes to wipe away the significant contributions of Indigenous peoples, enslaved peoples, women and other non-white immigrant populations. All that will remain is the deceptively flawless image of white men as the nation’s Founding Fathers.
Symbolism and control of the narrative are crucial elements to maintaining this new power dynamic, hence the need to bring arts and cultural institutions to heel. Free speech absolutism is championed as it includes the unfettered freedom to shout out untruths or ‘alternative facts’ to silence those voices who oppose them. Whenever you raise concerns about these lies, you risk joining the ranks of being attacked.
Do you see yourself as a person or institution under attack? Are you a person of color, differently abled, a member of the broad LGBTQ+ community, a woman or someone who supports marginalized communities? Maybe you are not paying close attention to the noise coming out of Washington D.C. Ignoring these types of deliberate efforts to falsely narrate our history could be fatal. History tells us that when people fail to stand against injustice, it expands, festers and multiplies.
It is true that at our founding, those in power were white men who penned principles of equal rights and justice under the law. However, it is no secret that when they signed their names to these principles of justice, they failed to extend these rights to all human beings. Despite their noble stance against the authority of the King of England, they did not practice the ideals of equality and justice they espoused. We need not appease ourselves with a false narrative of our history. An accurate narrative can acknowledge that through sacrifice and fighting against the will of those in power, much progress has been made.
We are not powerless in this democracy. Collectively, we are not frogs in a pot of water put on a slow boil but rather seeds scattered across fertile soil — each of us with the potential to grow into something transformative if we nurture our collective roots.
What can we do?
Use whatever talent, voice, platform, skill, education or grit you possess to take a stand. Arts and cultural organizations need help to maintain the freedom to protest wherever, whenever and however they see and interpret the injustice they encounter. Seek out and support organizations that amplify diverse voices, attend culturally enriching community events, donate to fundraising efforts or volunteer your time. Engage with policymakers at all levels, from local to state leaders, as well as leaders we send to Washington, D.C., to advocate on our behalf. Attend a local town hall meeting, or join an advocacy group focused on cultural preservation.
As a person of color, I’m fearful that this ominous shift in the accurate telling of the nation’s history will lead to increased marginalization of the diverse populations that continue to sacrifice to force this nation to live up to the ideals of equal rights and justice under the law.
We can unite in the belief that there are more of us willing to face off against injustice even when injustice is wielded by the enormous power vested in the president of the United States.
Yes, it takes some risks to stand up and stand out, but think about where we would end up if not enough of us are willing to take on this attack from above and within.
Humbly submitted by Neil Osborne, esquire of Medford, Mass.; lifetime member and former president of the Mystic Valley Area Branch of NAACP; member of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Observance Committee of Arlington Mass. since 2010; and one voice of hopefully many.
