Whitney Plantation, the only museum in Louisiana dedicated to representing the story of slavery, faces challenges under the shifting policies of the Trump administration. Executive Director Ashley Rogers highlights how museums are navigating increased censorship, particularly regarding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The museum's funding has been directly impacted by the cancellation of programs vital for diversifying historical narratives. Amid these challenges, Rogers emphasizes the importance of documenting current events to preserve history and protect the museum's mission against forces that aim to stifle open discussion about the past.
"Museums went harder under Trump's first term, saying, 'No, we're telling inclusive narratives. This is the work,'" Rogers told NPQ. "Now it's like people are being forced not to talk about them."
"People felt like we were helping them understand their present moment," she said.
Rogers lamented how, under the new Trump administration's DEI policies, entire grant programs have been canceled- and Whitney Plantation has been directly affected by one such cancellation: the Underrepresented Communities Grant.
She recognizes that keeping track of history as it unfolds is key to studying it in the future and understanding the harm taking place.
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