Under Executive Order “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” President Trump authorized a sweeping overhaul of federal cultural institutions, with the Smithsonian at the epicenter. The directive commands the removal of what it labels “divisive” or “anti-American ideology,” targeting exhibits on race, gender, Native American history, and women's contributions to public service. It reinstates previously removed monuments and statues — even Confederate figures — and aims to eliminate content that doesn’t conform to a sanitized narrative of American greatness.
At the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, references to Trump’s two impeachments were recently wiped from the “Limits of Presidential Power” exhibit, reverting it to a 2008 version that excludes Trump altogether. Officials claim the change was part of broader content review; critics warn it’s part of a politically motivated bid to suppress inconvenient truths.
Simultaneously, the National Museum of African American History and Culture — and other identity-focused Smithsonian facilities — face fierce scrutiny. Trump specifically named them in his order, accusing them of promoting a race-centered ideology. Scholars warn it signals a dangerous willingness to downplay or erase Black, Native American, and women’s histories from the national narrative.
The assault extends beyond museums. Government agencies purged thousands of webpages and datasets related to diversity, Indigenous people, and civil rights initiatives — removing references to gender identity, climate justice, and more. Educational, environmental, and medical resources vanished almost overnight, raising legal alarms about censorship and accountability.
Meanwhile in Washington, the White House Rose Garden — a carefully curated piece of historic landscape commissioned by Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961 — has been paved over in concrete. Its lush lawn was replaced by hard stone patios and tables. This redesign echoes Trump’s Mar-a-Lago aesthetic, sacrificing an iconic national space for barren pragmatism and personal branding.
Taken together, these moves form more than aesthetic or cultural rewrites. They are a symbolic purge: erasing public memory, silencing the contributions of people of color and women, and replacing complex history with a uniform, gilded myth intended to serve the powerful.
As efforts continue to sanitize American history under the guise of “patriotism,” we must remember the diverse individuals and groups whose contributions have shaped the nation. The following paragraphs highlight just a few of those at risk of erasure in this dangerous rewriting of our collective memory:
Navajo Code Talkers: Used their native language to create unbreakable codes during WWII, crucial to the Pacific campaign.
Tuskegee Airmen: First African-American military aviators in the U.S. Armed Forces; served with distinction in WWII.
Women in WWII: Served in roles such as nurses, factory workers (e.g., “Rosie the Riveter”), and intelligence agents.
Florence Nightingale: Pioneered modern nursing and dramatically improved sanitation in military hospitals during the Crimean War.
Martin Luther King Jr.: Leader of the Civil Rights Movement, known for his advocacy of nonviolence and civil disobedience.
John Lewis: Civil rights leader and long-serving congressman; key figure in the Selma marches and advocate for voting rights.
Women’s Suffrage Movement: Led to the 19th Amendment, granting American women the right to vote.
Native American Scouts: Served as guides and soldiers in the U.S. military across various wars, including the Indian Wars and WWII.
WAVES and WACs: Women’s branches of the Navy and Army respectively, supporting logistics, communications, and more in WWII.
Harriet Tubman: Led hundreds of enslaved people to freedom via the Underground Railroad and served as a Union spy during the Civil War.
Frederick Douglass: Former enslaved person who became a prominent activist, author, and speaker for abolition and equality.
Sojourner Truth: Abolitionist and women’s rights activist, famous for her “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech.
LGBTQ+ Service Members: Have served in all branches of the military, often in silence, with increasing recognition and historic firsts in recent years.
Vietnam War Veterans: Served during one of the most controversial and traumatic conflicts in American history (1955–1975). Over 58,000 Americans died. Veterans faced public backlash upon returning home, despite their sacrifice.
Women served in Vietnam as nurses on the battlefield, in field hospitals, and — in rare but documented cases — in combat-adjacent roles, under fire, saving lives. Their service has often gone underrecognized in official histories.
Author’s Note
History is never just names and dates to me — it’s personal.
Some of my classmates died in Vietnam. I still remember their faces.
The women who served as nurses, medics, and support personnel in that war — they weren’t background figures. They were brave, exhausted, terrified, and essential. They came home with scars too, even if no one asked to see them.
I watched China Beach not as entertainment, but as a mirror. It told truths I recognized in my bones — truths that don’t belong in a museum basement or behind executive orders.
This article echoes with grief, respect, and refusal to be erased.
It’s for every voice someone tried to silence. For every sacrifice scrubbed from textbooks.
And for every reader who still believes that honoring truth is the most patriotic act of all.
