Civil Rights Leaders Concerned as Sacred Artifacts Vanish From African-American Museum

A Bible that was brought along to civil rights protests and various memorabilia are being discreetly taken away from the display. National Museum of African American History and Culture in the nation’s capital, according to reports.

Rev. Amos Brown, a pastor and civil rights activist for more than five decades, received an email from the museum informing him that a Bible he carried during civil rights protests with Dr. Martin Luther King as well as other pieces he donated would soon be returned to him, he told WUSA9 .

In September 2016, the Smithsonian museum inaugurated its permanent site on the National Mall. Since then, the reverend’s bible has been included in their collection. However, the institution recently announced that they will be returning the pieces they initially borrowed eight years prior.

“We are grateful for the loan of these important objects and the ability to share them with the public. In order to preserve them and not display them for too long, we are now returning them to you,” the email said.

The Independent has reached out to the museum for comment.

The move comes one month after President Donald Trump ’s March 27 executive order aiming to “restore truth and sanity to American history.” The order targets Smithsonian museums, which have “come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology,” the order says.

To achieve this restoration, the order says, expenditure on exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy” are prohibited.

Brown had reservations about having the items back for fear of damaging them, citing "the weak pretext" that they had been exposed to excessive lighting.

His copy of The History of the Negro Race in America from 1619 to 1880 , a historical account of the treatment of Black Americans from the slave trade through the 19th century, was also being returned to him, he said. “I had called them and told them how unfortunate and ideological it is,” he added.

To the outlet, the museum issued a statement indicating they "regularly return borrowed artifacts according to relevant loan contracts and change exhibits based on the Smithsonian’s strict guidelines for maintenance and conservation as well as during routine updates." The statement went further to say, “Any assertions suggesting items were taken out for purposes beyond following typical loan agreements or usual museum procedures are incorrect.”

Brown told NBC4 He was not prompted regarding the renewal of the loan. He stated to the media outlet, “This is utterly deceitful and insulting.” He further expressed, “I trust that individuals with integrity, moral principles, and rational thinking will stand up and assert ‘it’s time we put an end to this.’”

Mississippi Representative Bennie Thompson likewise criticized the museum for deciding to take away the exhibits. wrote On X over the weekend: "The Trump administration’s effort to take down displays at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture clearly targets Black heritage. Wiping out our history can’t alter reality. Our voices won’t be quieted."

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