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KQED's Forum

Clint Smith on Telling the Truth About America’s History

KQED's Forum

KQED

News Commentary, News, Politics

4.2727 Ratings

🗓️ 28 April 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” President Trump targeted the Smithsonian, demanding that “improper ideology” be removed from exhibits. Under the order,  exhibits that “divide” Americans will be defunded, including  portrayals of race and its history at the National Museum of  African American History and Culture. We talk to Clint Smith, Atlantic staff writer and author of “How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America,” about the battle over how American history is told. Guests: Clint Smith, poet; author; staff writer, The Atlantic. His books are "Above Ground" and "How the Word is Passed." Key Jo Lee, chief of curatorial affairs and public program, Museum of the African Diaspora Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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From KQED.

1:23.9

From KQED in San Francisco, I'm Alexis Madrigal. In an executive order titled Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, President

1:29.9

Trump targeted the Smithsonian. Under the order, exhibits that, quote, divide Americans will be

1:36.5

defunded, including portrayals of race and racism at the National Museum of African American History

1:43.2

and Culture. We talked to Clint Smith, Atlantic staff writer,

1:47.0

and author of How the Word is Past,

1:49.0

A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America,

1:53.0

about the battle over how American history is told.

1:57.0

It's all coming up next, right after this news.

2:18.3

Welcome to Forum. I'm Alexis Madrigal. What does it mean to tell the truth about American history? The Trump administration's executive order targeting the Smithsonian

2:22.3

bashed the organization for an exhibit that stated that,

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