Stop J.D. Vance's Art and Cultural Heritage Censorship at the Smithsonian
Stop J.D. Vance's Art and Cultural Heritage Censorship at the Smithsonian
The Issue
As someone who deeply values America's diverse history of free speech, reflected in art, antiquities, and histories of non-majority peoples, I am distressed about a potent threat to our national heritage. J.D. Vance, under the banner of President Trump’s mandate, is planning to remove “improper ideology” from the Smithsonian Institution - a move which will potentially erase substantial parts of our nation's political, cultural, and artistic history.
The Smithsonian Institution, which receives over 30 million visitors annually, preserves our broad heritage and reflects a wide array of cultures, voices, and ideologies. It doesn't belong to a select few or a single ideology.
Trump’s move to put J.D. Vance, and a few of his cronies, into positions to determine what is, and isn’t “improper ideology,” risks creating an unprecedented narrative control that contradicts the principles of free speech and cultural expression upon which our country is built.
In fact, as cited in the American Alliance of Museums, our museums play a significant role in educating citizens about their fundamental rights and duties, including the importance of diversity and free speech. They serve as platforms to learn about and understand our complex history, broad cultural aspects, and political spectrum. To allow a political mandate to dictate the existence or non-existence of our shared history is akin to erasing the essence of who we are as a nation.
We must respect and protect the Smithsonian Institution's mandate as "an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Let us fight to preserve the wide array of America's artistic, cultural, and political life that it houses.
We call on Congress to take immediate action to prevent J.D. Vance from carrying out this destructive mission. America’s heritage should not be neutered to fit a single political narrative.
Sign this petition to send a loud and clear message that our shared history, culture, and arts are not for censorship. They are to be celebrated and learned from - not suppressed or eradicated.
62
The Issue
As someone who deeply values America's diverse history of free speech, reflected in art, antiquities, and histories of non-majority peoples, I am distressed about a potent threat to our national heritage. J.D. Vance, under the banner of President Trump’s mandate, is planning to remove “improper ideology” from the Smithsonian Institution - a move which will potentially erase substantial parts of our nation's political, cultural, and artistic history.
The Smithsonian Institution, which receives over 30 million visitors annually, preserves our broad heritage and reflects a wide array of cultures, voices, and ideologies. It doesn't belong to a select few or a single ideology.
Trump’s move to put J.D. Vance, and a few of his cronies, into positions to determine what is, and isn’t “improper ideology,” risks creating an unprecedented narrative control that contradicts the principles of free speech and cultural expression upon which our country is built.
In fact, as cited in the American Alliance of Museums, our museums play a significant role in educating citizens about their fundamental rights and duties, including the importance of diversity and free speech. They serve as platforms to learn about and understand our complex history, broad cultural aspects, and political spectrum. To allow a political mandate to dictate the existence or non-existence of our shared history is akin to erasing the essence of who we are as a nation.
We must respect and protect the Smithsonian Institution's mandate as "an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Let us fight to preserve the wide array of America's artistic, cultural, and political life that it houses.
We call on Congress to take immediate action to prevent J.D. Vance from carrying out this destructive mission. America’s heritage should not be neutered to fit a single political narrative.
Sign this petition to send a loud and clear message that our shared history, culture, and arts are not for censorship. They are to be celebrated and learned from - not suppressed or eradicated.
62
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Petition created on March 30, 2025