"How to celebrate America's birthday, or even whether to celebrate, turns out to be, for some museums and other cultural institutions, something of a pickle. A lot of places began their planning in 2020, in the aftermath of the 1619 Project and during the George Floyd moment; their plans therefore tilted in the direction of racial justice. But, after Trump's victory in 2024, they were told that they needed to tilt the other way."
"An early executive order denounced "the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology" abroad in the land and called for "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," under which the Administration has sought to dictate what the American story is, and who can tell it. Most federal funding now requires celebrating American greatness, military valor, and exceptionalism. In response, some local, state, and national organizations have simply refused to apply for it."
The United States will mark its 250th anniversary in 2026 amid competing visions for commemoration. The Trump Administration proposed prominent projects, including an arch near the Lincoln Memorial modeled on Paris's Arc de Triomphe, and has tied federal funding to celebrations of American greatness, military valor, and exceptionalism. Cultural institutions that began planning after 2020 leaned toward racial-justice themes but faced pressure after the 2024 election to shift narratives. An executive order denounced "divisive, race-centered ideology" and called for "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History." Some organizations have refused federal money, while civics initiatives remain promising components of the plans.
Read at The New Yorker
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