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The head of nan Smithsonian's National Museum of American History faced pointed questions from House Republicans connected Tuesday complete exhibits and materials they characterized arsenic woke, including a show linking Mickey Mouse to racism and a depository toolkit discussing "objectivity" arsenic a characteristic of White supremacy.
Several Republican members questioned Director Anthea Hartig astir sexually definitive imagery successful exhibits, including "bondage," successful nan words of Chairman Tim Burchett, R-Tenn. Texas Rep. Brandon Gill’s exchanges focused connected 1 of America’s astir iconic puerility characters.
"Is Mickey Mouse racist," Gill asked Hartig astir halfway done his allotted 5 minutes.
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Philadelphia, PA, USA - November 27, 2014: Disney's Mickey and Mini Mouse participate successful nan Thanksgiving Day Parade successful Philadelphia.
"Mickey Mouse is not racist," Hartig replied.
Gill responded by pointing to a Smithsonian Institution grounds that described Steamboat Willie arsenic representing "vestiges of long-standing traditions of blackface minstrelsy’."
"Would you picture that arsenic racist?" Gill pressed.
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National American History Museum Director Anthea Hartig (left) was confronted by Rep. Brandon Gill (right), R-Texas, complete nan Smithsonian's alleged utmost governmental ideology successful its displays (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Al Drago/Getty Images)
Hartig began explaining nan "historical trajectory" of Mickey Mouse earlier little crosstalk. She past finished: "[he’s] rooted successful minstrelsy."
When Gill asked whether nan purported racist overtones were "problematic," Hartig responded that it was not her domiciled to make that determination.
Gill besides cited nan MASS Action Toolkit, a mid-2010s anthology for museums that references nan 2014 Ferguson, Missouri, constabulary shooting and consequent Black Lives Matter protests, and asked Hartig whether it was important to beryllium "polite."
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Gill past cited passages from nan toolkit discussing "objectivity" and politeness successful narration to White supremacy culture. He asked Hartig whether nan guide's characterization implied she was a White supremacist.
"Can you thief maine quadrate why your statement says that being polite is portion of being a White supremacist?" Gill added, arsenic Hartig replied she could not instantly callback that passage.
Gill besides asked Hartig whether it was important to beryllium objective.
After Hartig answered mostly successful nan affirmative, Gill pointed to nan toolkit’s chat of objectivity.
A 2017 copy of nan toolkit disposable online stated that "Jones and Okun besides database objectivity arsenic a characteristic of a White supremacy culture. This encompasses repressing emotions successful decision-making aliases group processes, reasoning successful a linear fashion, impatience pinch those who do not grounds linear reasoning aliases pinch reasoning that does not look logical."
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National Museum of American History Director Dr. Anthea Hartig is sworn successful during an Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee connected Delivering connected Government Efficiency proceeding connected Capitol Hill connected July 21, 2026 successful Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
"Museum unit person ne'er been objective, but because ascendant norms typically coincide pinch nan worldview of nan immense mostly of depository staff, it has appeared to beryllium nonsubjective to nan ascendant culture. Those pinch worldviews extracurricular of nan ascendant civilization are hyperaware of nan fallacy successful this pretense of depository objectivity," nan toolkit went on.
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When asked whether nan characterization concerned her, Hartig replied, "it’s not our toolkit."
Gill said nan Smithsonian had promoted nan toolkit for years.
Born and raised successful Allentown, Pennsylvania, worked successful some nan New York and Washington bureaus for Fox News since 2013.
