Rep. Brandon Gill questioned the director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History during a Tuesday hearing regarding institutional guidelines. The session focused on museum materials that associate politeness and objectivity with white supremacy.
The 2021 Guidelines Linking Politeness to White Supremacy
During the hearing, Rep. Brandon Gill cited a 2021 document titled Aspects & Assumptions of Whiteness & White Culture in the United States, which was unveiled by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.. according to the source,this graphic listed several attributes tied to a white dominant culture, specifically including the requirement to be polite.
Rep. Brandon Gill used these guidelines to challenge the museum's leadership, asking the director to reconcile how an organization could label politeness as a characteristic of white supremacy. This line of questioning suggests a growing friction between traditional social norms and the critical race frameworks currently being integrated into federal cultural institutions.
The MASS Museum Toolkit and the Rejection of Objectivity
The hearing further examined the Smithsonian's alleged use of the MASS Museum As Site for Social Action Toolkit. As reported in the source , this toolkit describes objectivity as a defining characteristic of white supremay culture, framing the pursuit of objectivity as a way to repress emotions in decision-making or to enforce linear thinking .
Director Hartig testified that the MASS Museum As Site for Social Action Toolkit was not developed by the Smithsonian and was likely used as a reference between 2019 and 2020. However, Rep. Brandon Gill pressed the director on the contradiction of the museum claiming a goal of objectivity while referencing a toolkit that labels such a goal as a tool of supremacy.
Mickey Mouse and the Debate Over Blackface Minstrelsy
The tension over historical framing peaked during a discussion about the cultural origins of Mickey Mouse. Rep. Brandon Gill pointed to Smithsonian exhibits that reference the character as representing vestiges of long-standing blackface minstrelsy traditions,asking if the museum considers the character racist.
Director Hartig avoided labeling the character as "problematic," stating instead that her role is to determine what is "accurate." This exchange underscores the broader conflict regarding whether the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History should present artifacts as neutral objects or as symbols of systemic historical biases.
A White House Domestic Policy Council Report on Left-Wing Bias
The subcommittee hearing, titled Rewriting American History: Examining the Smithsonian's Efforts to Reshape the Past, was prompted by a report from the White House Domestic Policy Council. This report accused the Smithsonian of maintaining extensive left-wing biases that frame the history of the United States in a negative light.
This clash is part of a wider national trend where federal funding and institutional mandates for diversity and inclusion are colliding with demands for traditionalist historical narratives. The White House Domestic Policy Council's findings suggest that the Smithsonian's shift toward "social action" may have compromised its mandate for historical accuracy.
Whether the Smithsonian Still Endorses the 2019-2020 References
While Director Hartig noted that the MASS toolkit was a reference from several years ago, it remains unclear if the Smithsonian has formally repudiated these materials or if they continue to influence staff training. The source does not clarify if the 2021 guidelines from the National Museum of African American History and Culture are still active policy.
Furthermore, the reporting focuses heavily on Rep. Brandon Gill's questioning; it remains to be seen if the Smithsonian will provide a detailed audit of which external toolkits are currently influencing exhibit curation across its various museums.
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