President Donald Trump is working with his administration to have photos of slavery removed from U.S. national park signs and exhibits.
This includes a famous 1863 photograph of an enslaved man named Peter. The photo, entitled “The Scourged Back,” showcases Peter with heavy scars on his back from whippings.
The removal request is the result of an executive order Trump signed in March, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” aimed at reshaping how American history is represented.
According to the executive order, the nation’s history is being “reconstructed as inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed” and “[undermines] the remarkable achievements of the United States by casting its founding principles and historical milestones in a negative light.”
President Trump challenged the Smithsonian over historical narratives in August. “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.”
The removal process is currently underway. According to Trump, “I have instructed my attorneys to go through the Museums, and start the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities where tremendous progress has been made.”
