AHA executive director Sarah Weicksel appeared on ABC News on July 21 to discuss a recent White House Domestic Policy Council report on the National Museum of American History.
“The advancement of historical understanding relies upon historians and other museum professionals like those who work at the National Museum of American History to have the ability to practice their craft with integrity, to undertake vigorous evidence-based research, and then to interpret that evidence for the public according to well-established professional, historical, and museum practices,” Weicksel said. “The National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian Institution at large belong to all of us as Americans, and we all deserve to be able to visit the museum and see exhibitions in which we see ourselves, our communities, our families, and our nation represented.”
The AHA has reiterated its support for the Smithsonian and submitted a statement for the record defending the Smithsonian’s independence and professional integrity for the hearing “Rewriting American History: Examining the Smithsonian’s Efforts to Reshape the Past,” held by the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency in the House of Representatives.