Harriet Tubman historian Kate Clifford Larson revealed in a recent Facebook post that Tubman’s personal Hymnal which had been donated to the Smithsonian in 2010
and had been on display as a featured and important artifact in the new Museum of African American History and Culture was removed from display in April 2025. This was just one month after the White House sent a letter to Lonnie Bunch, Secretary of the Smithsonian telling him that their exhibitions and materials would be reviewed to ensure that they align with President Trumps Executive Order 14253 “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History”. Part of their aim was to “remove divisive or partisan narratives”. They went on to say that their goal was to highlight “accurate, uplifting and inclusive portrayals of America’s heritage.
My question is what artifact could possibly be a better example of “uplifting and inclusive” than the hymnal of an extremely devout Christian woman who is a bonafide American hero who worked for freedom her whole adult life ?
In 2015 Lonnie Bunch gave this interview to Scott Pelley for 60 Minutes about how surprised and grateful they were to receive this unique and very special artifact:
In 2020 Shemaiah Gonzalaz saw the hymnal at the Smithsonian and wrote the following in her Substack reflections:
“To see this book, a simple hymnal but one that touched your skin, that lay in your knapsack, is to see an object of devotion, a relic invested with spiritual power. If we reach through the glass, if we place our hand on its cover, if we purse our lips to kiss-- will your faith flood through us? Could we be as brave? Will we hear His call? He said if we had faith the size of a mustard seed, we could move mountains. Nothing would be impossible. You did the impossible, you moved people.
Well done, Minty, well done.”
A 2010 Smithsonian magazine about the Tubman exhibit read:
“She believed in freedom when she shouldn’t have had a chance to believe in freedom,” says Bunch. Just as important, he adds, was that her increasingly famous acts of daring “belied the Southern contention that slaves actually liked their lives.”
In 1849, she fled Maryland to Philadelphia. Soon after, Tubman began her exploits—acts of bravery that would make her a legend.
Tubman did not repeatedly risk her life to bring other enslaved people to freedom on the underground railroad because “slavery wasn’t so bad” as President Trump has been asserting.
Lindsay Halligan is one of the signers of the White House letter to the Smithsonian about reviewing collections and displays. This is a recent Facebook post about her observations.
It seems to me that we should be proud of the fact and our children should know that we ended slavery because it was very bad. We ended segregation because it was bad. We created Civil Rights legislation because we needed to.
The battle of Gettysburg did not happen because slavery was no big deal. The Gettysburg Address is a great Presidential speech for a reason. “A new birth of Freedom” was not just a catch phrase for Lincoln to throw out to the crowd.
Our kids should be proud of Emancipation, but they need to know why.
I believe that the removal of Harriet Tubman’s Hymnal from display is significant and deserves more research and investigation. Was it done to draw attention to what Trump is doing to promote his personal view of American history ? Was this significant artifact just “rotated out” because it had been on view too long ? What’s the real story here ?
I think I’m going to contact the White House and the Smithsonian and ask questions. I want to know more about the “accurate and sane” depiction of our history. Is there anything “divisive or partisan” about this Gospel book used by a Christian woman ?
I believe that Harriett’s Hymnal should be back on display, for all to be inspired and uplifted by as we approach our 250th Anniversary celebration of Freedom.
I’m all for Truth in history…it matters to us all.
Forgive me Mike, if I jump to the conclusion that this administration is full of bigots as well as traitors. Maybe there is some innocent reason for the removal. But I suspect it simply had a "bad look" for the White Supremacist Crooks who are running our nation.
Please let us know what you discover.
You make a good point, Mike - if it was removed for its own safety, that makes sense - you don't want some unauthorized person snatching it off. I've seen the suggestions that it might be sent to one of the Harriet Tubman homesteads, and if it can logically be stowed there, that might be a good idea. One day it will be secure to return certain artifacts to their rightful places. May it be soon.