A Richmond museum is preparing to open an exhibition in June that will explore the lives of free Black Virginians from 1619 to 1865.
The “Un/Bound” exhibit is opening in an era tainted by President Donald Trump’s efforts to sanitize America’s history, shut down diversity and equity initiatives and remove any special recognition of female or African American achievements throughout the nation.
Trump issued an executive order more than three weeks ago looking to restore “truth and sanity” to American history.
“Over the past decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our nation’s history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth,” the order by Trump reads. “This revisionist movement seeks to undermine the remarkable achievements of the United States by casting its founding principles and historical milestones in a negative light.
“Under this historical revision, our nation’s unparalleled legacy of advancing liberty, individual rights and human happiness is reconstructed as inherently racist, sexist, oppressive or otherwise irredeemably flawed.
“Rather than fostering unity and a deeper understanding of our shared past, the widespread effort to rewrite history deepens societal divides and fosters a sense of national shame, disregarding the progress America has made and the ideals that continue to inspire millions around the globe.”
Trump specifically targeted the Smithsonian Institution and the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the order, saying the museums portray a “divisive, race-center ideology” and narratives that portray Western values as “inherently harmful and oppressive.”
The executive director of the African American museum stepped down days after the executive order was issued.
The museum opened in 2016 and features Black leaders including Barack Obama, Nikki Giovanni, Muhammad Ali and Arthur Ashe, among others, and celebrates The Wiz, The Birth of a Nation, Rosenwald Schools and Negro Leagues baseball. In 2024, the museum hosted 1.6 million visitors.
Trump said it is the policy of his administration that federal sites should be places where individuals go to learn – but “not be subjected to ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives that distort our shared history.”
The vice president has been charged with ensuring the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo follows this policy and not allow exhibits or programs that divide Americans based on race or celebrate women and not equally recognize the achievements of men.
The order specifically mentions the American Women’s History Museum, currently in development by the Smithsonian, with major support from the Coca-Cola Company, The Hartford and Arison. The museum was authorized by Congress in 2020 and is working to finalize a site for a physical building on the National Mall.
The Secretary of the Interior has also been tasked with reviewing public monuments, statues, markers or similar properties. While the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial isn’t specifically mentioned in the order, many wonder if that will also be shut down to comply with the president’s order.
Richmond exhibit to fill ‘critical gap’ in understanding Black Virginians
“Un/Bound: Free Black Virginians, 1619-1865” is scheduled to open on June 14 at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture in Richmond.
While Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has inserted himself into the dialogue around DEI initiatives at public universities throughout the state, to date, he has not publicly put pressure on exhibits of this nature being presented since the president’s executive order was issued in late March.
The exhibit tells the stories of free Black Virginians from the arrival of the first captive Africans in 1619 to the abolition of slavery in 1865. The exhibit and display is being offered as part of VMHC’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
The exhibition was created in collaboration with Norfolk State University, Virginia State University, William & Mary, Longwood University and Richard Bland College.
“Un/Bound offers a comprehensive treatment of the rich, complicated history of a group of people we don’t collectively know much about,” said Elizabeth Klaczynski, VMHC’s associate curator of exhibitions.
“People like Benjamin Short, a free Black man who, in 1820, signed a $200 bond with his name instead of an X — a remarkable feat for someone who was born enslaved and most likely did not know how to read or write before gaining his freedom.”
The exhibition will be accompanied by a publication of the same name featuring essays by Melvin Ely, Cassandra Newby-Alexander, Stephen Rockenbach, Sabrina Watson and Evanda Watts-Martinez.
A traveling version of the exhibition will tour the state starting in October and continuing through 2028. The exhibition is available to libraries, community centers, schools and other public venues.
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Crystal Graham
