Volunteer Group Archives Smithsonian Wall Text
A group of historians and volunteers has been documenting wall labels across the Smithsonian Institution as the Trump administration pushes for changes to how American history is presented in federal museums, according to The Washington Post. The effort, organized under the name Citizen Historians for the Smithsonian, began after administration officials called for reviews of content at several museums and urged the removal of what they described as “divisive narratives.” The Smithsonian, which comprises 21 museums and the National Zoo, has increasingly become a focal point in debates over historical interpretation. Related Articles The group was co-founded by James Millward, a Georgetown University historian, and Chandra Manning, a US history professor at Georgetown. Over seven weeks in late summer and early fall, they recruited hundreds of volunteers to photograph and archive publicly accessible wall text throughout the Smithsonian system, compiling more than 50,000 images, the Post reported. The documentation effort drew attention after the National Portrait Gallery replaced wall text accompanying President Donald Trump’s portrait. According to the Post, the previous label stated that Trump …




