History does not belong to power
When government decides which history is acceptable, the question is no longer the past but who controls national memory today.
The danger begins when argument becomes decree.
History should be questioned, debated and challenged. But the dispute over the Smithsonian raises a larger question: What happens when political power begins deciding which parts of the American story are acceptable?
In this installment of “This Matters,” Bill Britt examines the line between debating history and allowing government to become the editor of national memory. America’s story contains extraordinary achievement and profound injustice, and a confident nation should be strong enough to confront both.
Subscribe to “This Matters with Bill Britt” on YouTube, Spotify, Apple or anywhere you get your podcasts.