WASHINGTON, April 29, 2025 — The Smithsonian Institution has returned several artifacts from the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), including a Bible and a historic book loaned by civil rights leader Rev. Amos Brown, prompting debate about the museum’s preservation practices. Brown and some visitors expressed concern about the removals, while the Smithsonian clarified that the returns align with standard loan agreements and preservation protocols.
Brown, a pastor and activist who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., received an email from the NMAAHC this month stating: “Dear Reverend Brown, I wanted to alert you that the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) will be returning your Bible and book we borrowed for our exhibition, ‘Segregation.’ Both books have been on display at the NMAAHC since we opened our doors to the public in September 2016. 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 returned items include a Bible Brown carried during civil rights demonstrations and a copy of “The History of the Negro Race in America,” one of the first books to document racism in the U.S. Brown, who did not request their return, questioned the museum’s rationale. “The flimsy excuse was because they were under too much light,” he said, asserting that museums should have the expertise to preserve such artifacts.
Brown also noted discussions about potentially removing the Greensboro lunch counter, a key exhibit tied to the 1960 sit-in by four North Carolina A&T State University students, though this claim remains unverified. The lunch counter and a related stool remain on display at the NMAAHC and the National Museum of American History, respectively.
The Smithsonian issued a statement addressing the concerns: “Recent reports about the Smithsonian removing the historic Greensboro, North Carolina, lunch counter and a stool from the National Museum of American History and National Museum of African American History and Culture, respectively, are inaccurate. Both the Greensboro lunch counter and stools where college students sat in protest during the Civil Rights Movement are and continue to be on display.” The statement added, “The Smithsonian routinely returns loaned artifacts per applicable loan agreements and rotates objects on display in accordance with the Smithsonian’s high standards of care and preservation. Recent claims that objects have been removed for reasons other than adherence to standard loan agreements or museum practices are false”.
The returns follow a March 2025 executive order by President Donald Trump, directing federally funded institutions to remove “improper, divisive or anti-American ideology,” specifically mentioning the NMAAHC. Brown criticized the order, stating, “That was the most unfortunate directive. It’s about someone being against diversity, inclusion and equity for African Americans and all people who’ve been marginalized in this country.”
The NMAAHC, a cornerstone of the National Mall, houses artifacts that chronicle African American history. The Smithsonian emphasized its commitment to preserving these items for future generations, noting that artifact rotation is a standard practice to ensure long-term conservation. The debate highlights tensions between preservation protocols and the cultural significance of civil rights-era artifacts, with Brown asserting, “We aren’t going to let anyone tell us what we can’t read and celebrate as our artifacts.”