The National Museum of African American History & Culture (NMAAHC) has deleted their widely ridiculed graphic which claimed “hard work” and “rational thinking” are aspects of whiteness.
The info-graphic, which was titled “Aspects and Assumptions of Whiteness and White Culture In the United States”, went viral across social media last week for essentially suggesting the best parts of society come from white people.
NMAAHC’s website states:
“White dominant culture, or whiteness, refers to the ways white people and their traditions, attitudes and ways of life have been normalized over time and are now considered standard practices in the United States. And since white people still hold most of the institutional power in America, we have all internalized some aspects of white culture–including people of color.”
Aspects of “whiteness” or “white dominant culture” include the nuclear family, objectivity, rational thinking, hard work, politeness, delayed gratification, and respect for authority.
Donald Trump Jr. criticized the chart on Twitter, suggesting it was an attack on the American way of life.
Important: These aren’t “white” values. They’re American values that built the world’s greatest civilization. They help you succeed here, no matter your color. So make no mistake, Biden’s radicals aren’t coming for “whites,” they’re coming for the entire American way of life. https://t.co/L97NBydHpb
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 15, 2020
“Important: These aren’t ‘white’ values. They’re American values that built the world’s greatest civilization. They help you succeed here, no matter your color. So make no mistake, Biden’s radicals aren’t coming for ‘whites,’ they’re coming for the entire American way of life.”
The Museum later posted an apology on Twitter saying: “It is important for us as a country to talk about race. We thank those who shared concerns about our “Talking About Race” online portal. We need these types of frank and respectful interchanges as we as a country grapple with how we talk about race and its impact on our lives.
“We erred in including the chart. We have removed it, and we apologize. We are reviewing our policies to ensure that our digital materials reflect the quality you have come to expect. Education is core to our mission. We thank you for helping us to be better.”
We erred in including the chart. We have removed it, and we apologize. We are reviewing our policies to ensure that our digital materials reflect the quality you have come to expect. Education is core to our mission. We thank you for helping us to be better.
— Smithsonian NMAAHC (@NMAAHC) July 17, 2020
