AHA executive director James Grossman spoke with Michel Martin on NPR’s Morning Edition about the recent executive order, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which claims that the Smithsonian Institution has “come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology” and “portray[s] American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.” Grossman defended the Smithsonian, saying the order “misrepresents the work of the Smithsonian institution, and … completely misconstrues the nature of historical work itself.” He continued, “patriotism is helping Americans to learn what they need to learn to be good citizens and to contribute to democratic institutions.”
