Smithsonian Text Archived by Volunteers
A volunteer group has digitally archived wall text from Smithsonian museums, preserving interpretive materials that were at risk of being lost or altered amid recent political and administrative changes. This grassroots effort enables future generations to study how museums communicate history and culture during contentious times.
The volunteer effort, known as Citizen Historians for the Smithsonian, was co-founded by Georgetown University professors James Millward and Chandra Manning, and graduate student Jessica Dickinson Goodman. It emerged in response to a White House directive in August 2025 demanding a review of museum content to ensure it aligned with a "patriotic" narrative. The project mobilized with remarkable speed. In a seven-week period, more than 1,700 volunteers joined the "Crowd to Cloud" initiative, successfully documenting all publicly accessible exhibits across 21 Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo. Their work resulted in a digital archive of over 50,000 photographs and videos. The administration's review was prompted by a March 2025 executive order aimed at combating what it termed "divisive, race-centered ideology" in historical presentations. The White House sought to remove what it called "distorted" narratives and replace them with content celebrating "American exceptionalism." Specific museum content targeted by the administration included a Benjamin Franklin exhibit that discussed his ownership of enslaved people, displays at the National Portrait Gallery about the Chinese Exclusion Act, and a film about the murder of George Floyd. The White House also flagged exhibits for allegedly imposing "western gender ideology." A key flashpoint was the alteration of the text accompanying Donald Trump's official portrait. After the National Portrait Gallery removed mentions of his two impeachments, project co-founder James Millward personally distributed handouts of the original text to visitors in an act he described as "guerrilla teaching." The White House review officially targeted at least seven museums, including the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of African Art. Museum officials received letters demanding they implement "content corrections" and replace language deemed "divisive." While the Smithsonian is not a direct executive branch agency, it receives the majority of its funding from the U.S. Congress, creating a lever for political pressure. Professional organizations like the American Historical Association condemned the review as political interference that threatens to erode public trust in cultural institutions. The citizen-led archive now serves as a public record to monitor any alterations to the historical information presented in the museums. It is part of a larger movement of grassroots preservation efforts, including the "History, Archives, and Records Preservation Project (HARPP)," which tracks changes to the historical record.
