The continuous removal and rewriting of Black American history continues as Donald Trump makes changes to MLK Day. In previous years, MLK Day was used to observe not only his impact during the civil rights movement, but in conjunction with the National Park Service, museums were free nationwide for the public to remember history. Now, this year, Trump has decided to instruct the National Park Service to eliminate MLK Day and Juneteenth from the calendar of free admission days and instead add his birthday, which is on the same day as Flag Day, to the list. This adds to the long list of attacks on Black history that Trump has had since being elected as president.
Last year, Trump signed several executive orders essentially ending “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion” (DEI), deeming it illegal, radical, wasteful, and wanting to restore opportunities on a merit-based lens. “We have ended the tyranny of so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion policies all across the entire federal government and, indeed, the private sector and our military,” Trump said during a press conference. “And our country will be woke no longer.” This led to funding being cut from HBCUs, minority supporting programs, low-income-supporting programs, people in the workforce losing their jobs, and businesses on a wide scale closing or experiencing financial hardship.
One of those businesses was the Smithsonian Museums, as Trump made it a target for funding cuts because he didn’t agree with how they were telling America’s history.
“The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about brightness, nothing about the Future,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump shortly there after launched an investigation into the museums to justify his funding cuts. “President Trump will explore all options and avenues to get the Woke out of the Smithsonian and hold them accountable.” White House officials said, Trump signed an Executive Order, Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, that targets funding for museums and programs at the Smithsonian Institution that he deems have “promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.
The Smithsonian, which was established in 1846 and includes 21 museums and galleries and the National Zoo, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Most of its museums are in Washington, D.C.
The Smithsonian receives most of its budget from the U.S. Congress but is independent of the government in decision-making. Civil rights advocates say Trump’s administration is undoing decades of social progress and undermining the acknowledgement of critical phases of American history.
The director of the Smithsonian’s African American museum, Kevin Young, stepped down from his role last year after four years, shortly after Trump ridiculed the Smithsonian and cut budget funds. While a statement from the museum said that Young stepped down for personal matters, the announcement came two weeks before the executive order was signed. The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) documentation of slavery, Jim Crow, ongoing discrimination against Black people, and other difficult subjects brought the institution into the Trump administration’s crossfire.
In a letter addressed to its staff following the order, Smithsonian secretary Lonnie Bunch reiterated the institution’s commitment to “telling the multi-faceted stories of this country’s extraordinary heritage.”
The stepping down of Young was just another casualty of the war on DEI and minority groups in the workforce. A July 2025 survey from resume.org, of 965 U.S. companies with active DEI programs before November 2024, reveals the tangible consequences organizations are facing.
The numbers show immediate shifts in hiring and retention patterns. One in five companies has eliminated DEI initiatives entirely, with 74 percent citing the changed political climate as their primary reason. Among companies that cut programs, 57 percent report hiring fewer people from underrepresented groups. The decline is particularly pronounced for women of color (37 percent decrease), LGBTQIA+ candidates (33 percent decrease), and men of color (33 percent decrease). By comparison, only 12 percent reported decreased hiring of white men.
The workplace culture impacts are equally significant. Nearly half of the companies that reduced DEI efforts report declining employee morale, while 36 percent struggle with the retention of diverse talent. Leadership representation has also shifted, with 30 percent noting fewer people of color in leadership roles and 24 percent reporting fewer women in leadership positions.