A Black bishop whose great-grandparents were enslaved is challenging the Smithsonian’s gloomy portrayal of America—and reminding its leadership that history is supposed to present facts, not manufacture activists.
Bishop Earl Walker Jackson spoke out Monday as House Republicans considered using Congress’ power of the purse to force changes at the Smithsonian Institution, which receives roughly $1 billion annually from taxpayers.
“If you were born an American, you hit the proverbial lottery,” Jackson said, arguing that Americans possess more opportunity and hope than people almost anywhere else.
Jackson was particularly incensed by National Museum of American History Director Anthea Hartig’s description of history as a “prime tool of social justice.”
“No, history should be facts about what has happened in the past,” Jackson responded. People should then be allowed “to draw their own conclusions” about those facts, he said.
Jackson’s remarks were first reported Monday by Fox News, following weeks of growing scrutiny surrounding Hartig and the museum.
During a 2025 presentation, Hartig discussed reparations, “restorative justice through history” and America’s “long and violent racial history.” Jackson believes that approach encourages Americans to become “angry and bitter and resentful” toward their own country.
Hartig defended the museum during a July congressional hearing, insisting its work is governed by standards of “scholarship, accuracy, independence and nonpartisanship” and that it does not take sides in political debates.
The Trump White House reached a very different conclusion. Its 162-page Saving America’s Story report accused the museum of “ideological capture” and said its current leadership could not be trusted to present the American story honestly. President Trump subsequently ordered steps to restore public confidence in the institution.
Congress may now supply the financial incentive. Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., warned that if the Smithsonian remains “unable and unwilling” to present an objective account of American history, “House Republicans will have to act.”
Jackson rejected the notion that acknowledging America’s greatness requires ignoring slavery or injustice. His own family history includes slavery, foster care and a broken home—yet he describes his life as “wonderfully blessed.”
“There is no place on Earth that has been more affirming of human dignity,” Jackson said.
DBS WIRE SOURCES
- Fox News: Descendant of slaves shames Smithsonian’s woke ‘indoctrination’ against the ‘greatest nation on Earth’
- Fox News: Smithsonian’s taxpayer funds face chopping block as GOP demands accountability for ‘woke’ history
- New York Post: Historian blasts Smithsonian’s activism shift after first visit in over a decade
- Reuters: Smithsonian head says White House report unfairly characterized US history museum
- House Oversight Committee: Hearing examines Smithsonian museum’s radical agenda to reshape the past
- White House: Saving America’s Story—How ideological capture at the Smithsonian erases our heritage
