In a memo addressed to staffers sent Tuesday, the secretary of the Smithsonian, Lonnie G.Bunch III, defended the institution after the White House issued a 162-page report that characterizes the National Museum of American History as a place which has become "subject to institutional capture by a radical, activist ideology that is fundamentally opposed to telling the noble, honest story of the great country we know and love."In his email, which NPR has obtained, Bunch wrote in part: "While there will always be room for improvement, this report is not a fair characterization of the work and totality of the National Museum of American History.
At the Smithsonian, our work is driven by scholarship, accuracy and an uncompromising commitment to tell the fullness of America's story.As public servants and the keepers of this institution, we are charged with helping a nation find understanding, hope and clarity and as part of that duty, we are dedicated to excellence, reflection and growth."He continued: "We remain focused on what grounds us: a steadfast commitment to scholarship, nonpartisanship, independence, accuracy and integrity.
For nearly 180 years, the Smithsonian has worked alongside partners across government — from the White House to Congress to our governing Board of Regents — guided by our enduring mission to increase and diffuse knowledge.That purpose remains: to pursue knowledge with rigor and to serve the American public with clarity and care."The White House report was issued on July 4 by the Domestic Policy Council under the title "Saving America's Story: How Ideological Capture at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History Erases Our Heritage." The council faults the National Museum of American History on a multitude of fronts, saying it underemphasized the Founding Fathers and early colonial and Revolutionary history; was not sufficiently celebratory of the country's 250th anniversary; and that it engaged in "anti-white," "i...