Trump administration officials have begun the removal of historic artifacts from the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). Bossip has been following this story and continues to update our readers. According to Black Press USA, the process is starting with key displays tied to the Civil Rights Movement.
The first exhibit dismantled is the 1960 Woolworth’s lunch counter sit-in display, a recreation that highlighted the defiant stand of four Black students from North Carolina A&T University. On February 1, 1960, the students refused to leave the segregated lunch counter after being denied service, a move that helped send a wave of sit-ins across the South and became a flashpoint in the national Civil Rights Movement.
North Carolina Rep. Alma Adams criticized the decision, telling Black Press USA that it represents a pattern of “distraction” by the former president.
“This president is a master of distraction and is destroying what it took 250 years to build,” Adams said. “Here’s another distraction in his quest for attention. Another failure of his first 100 days.”
Adams emphasized that removing physical exhibits will not erase the history they represent.
“We are long past the time when you can erase history—anyone’s history. You can take down exhibits, close buildings, take down websites, ban books, and try to change history, but we are long past that point. We will never forget,” she added.
At the same time, there are many who remain unaware of specifics in our history due to their own circumstances. Many grew up without learning true details of American history, in regards to the mistreatment of Black and African Americans. How unfortunate to continue this wave of ugliness towards the very hands that built this country.
Dismantling Of NMAAHC Exhibits Includes Return of Personal Artifacts
In addition to dismantling exhibits, museum officials have begun returning loaned artifacts to private owners. Black Press USA reports that civil rights leader Dr. Amos Brown, pastor of San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church, learned via email on April 10 and 15, 2025, that two items he loaned to the museum would be returned: his father’s Bible and a historic copy of George W. Williams’s History of the Negro Race in America, 1618-1880.
An excerpt from the museum’s communication to Dr. Brown reads:
“I wanted to alert you that the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) will be returning your Bible and book we borrowed for our exhibition, Segregation.”
Both artifacts have been on display at the museum since its opening in 2016. Dr. Brown expressed disappointment over the removal, emphasizing the importance of the materials to the Civil Rights Movement.
“Those two books and the summary of my civil rights activism and my picture right there next to Medgar Evers, John Lewis, and Fred Shuttlesworth in the desegregation of civil rights exhibit… That book inspired me before there were even African studies published,” Brown told Black Press USA. “The Bible—that’s my father’s Bible and the Bible I used in the Civil Rights Movement. When we went on demonstrations, we always had the Bible.”
It’s enough to really get you angry. Museums are also a safe way to make sure materials are protected. Though one could argue that Dr. Brown could still be able to share this piece of Black History, who is to say that he has the proper storage or reach to share with all walks of life?
Legal and Policy Changes Underway
According to Black Press USA, the administration’s effort is being guided by Attorney Lindsey Halligan, who reportedly works with Vice President JD Vance to “remove improper ideology” from Smithsonian properties.
Halligan told the Washington Post that exhibits focusing heavily on negative aspects of American history “weaponize” history and risk creating further division.
“We don’t need to overemphasize the negative to teach people that certain aspects of our nation’s history may have been bad,” Halligan said. “That overemphasis just makes us grow further and further apart.”
The removal of such artifacts as an attempt to reshape public memory around America’s struggles with race and equality, is truly disgusting. We deserve the right to know our history, but how is the administration even allowed to do something like this? Is this not unconstitutional? How is one even able to change things we can’t control? Why are these #Project2025 moves so directly targeting Black people?
This is another shameful sign of where the Trump administration is leading this country. BOSSIP remains committed to covering this. Hopefully, this is a temporary loss.
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