The director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History faced pointed questions from House Republicans on Tuesday over exhibits and materials they characterized as woke.
The lawmakers questioned Director Anthea Hartig about the museum's display linking Mickey Mouse to racism, as well as a museum toolkit discussing "objectivity" as a feature of White supremacy.
Several Republican members questioned Hartig about sexually explicit imagery in exhibits, including "bondage," with Chairman Tim Burchett pointing to the issue.
Texas Rep. Brandon Gill focused on a Smithsonian Institution exhibit that described Steamboat Willie as representing "vestiges of long-standing traditions of blackface minstrelsy."
Gill asked Hartig whether she would describe that as racist, prompting her to explain the "historical trajectory" of Mickey Mouse and ultimately concluding that he is "rooted in minstrelsy."
Gill also cited the MASS Action Toolkit, a mid-2010s anthology for museums that references the 2014 Ferguson, Missouri, police shooting and subsequent Black Lives Matter protests.
He asked Hartig whether being polite was important and referenced passages from the toolkit discussing "objectivity" and politeness in relation to White supremacy culture.
Gill pointed out that the guide characterized objectivity as a characteristic of a White supremacy culture and asked Hartig if the characterization implied she was a White supremacist.
Hartig replied that she could not immediately recall that passage and stated that it was not the museum's toolkit, despite Gill pointing out that the Smithsonian had promoted it for years.
When asked about the characterization, Hartig responded that it was not her role to make that determination.
Hartig's responses did little to address the lawmakers' concerns, leaving the questions of the museum's exhibits and materials hanging in the balance.
