The Trump administration wants American museums to be less critical of our history. 

On Tuesday, the White House called for a “comprehensive internal review” of eight Smithsonian museums. They want institutions to celebrate American exceptionalism instead of discussing race and America’s racial history, and to avoid negatively discussing the president. 

Already, one Smithsonian museum changed its exhibit about President Donald Trump. It omitted that the president made false statements challenging his 2020 election loss, as well as a statement that said Trump delivered a speech encouraging lawless action at the Capitol. 

The current administration says it wants our museums to end partisanship and to “restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.” But many worry that, instead, the president is stoking an already-heated culture war and limiting free speech.

How should these museums respond to political pressure? How should American museums react to criticism and make appropriate changes? And, what is their role in critiquing and celebrating American life?

We asked Devon Akmon, Director of Michigan State University Museum and core faculty member in MSU’s Arts, Cultural Management & Museum Studies program for his perspective. 

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60 years after the Voting Rights Act was passed, the Jackson Home, a civil rights movement landmark, is coming to The Henry Ford’s Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MI.

The Henry Ford, which includes the Museum of Innovation and Greenfield Village, acquired the Jackson house in 2023. It was owned by Dr. Sullivan Jackson and Mrs. Ritchie Jean Sherrod Jackson and was the site of organizing for the Selma to Montgomery Marches that led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The Detroit Public Library is hosting a presentation by Amber Mitchell, Curator of Black History at The Henry Ford. She will discuss the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act being signed into law and the role the Jackson Home played in the Selma to Montgomery Marches. The discussion will be at the Main Branch of the Detroit Public Library, 6 p.m., Wednesday, August 6.

Guest: Amber Mitchell, Curator of Black History at The Henry Ford

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In this episode of The Detroit Evening Report, we cover an upcoming exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts centered around Indigenous artists. Plus, where to hear jazz in the Avenue of Fashion this weekend.

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DIA announces Native American exhibit

The Detroit Institute of Arts has just announced that it’s hosting a Native American exhibit in September. According to the museum’s website, “The Contemporary Anishinaabe Art: A Continuation” exhibit will feature 60 U.S.-based Anishinaabe artists in the first major exhibition on Native Americans at the museum in 30 years.

The artwork will feature jewelry, basketry and painting. Additionally, there will be pottery and woodworking displays.

The exhibition has been curated with an advisory council of Ojibwe, Ottawa and Potawatomi artists. Gallery text will include Anishnaabemowin, a language of the Indigenous communities in the Great Lakes.

People can see the exhibition Sep. 28, 2025 through April 5, 2026.

Jazz on the Ave returns

Mike’s Fresh Market and the University Commonwealth are hosting a block party this weekend. The 17th Annual Jazz on the Ave festival is a customer appreciation block party on Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion, located on Livernois Avenue.

The event takes place Saturday, Aug. 2 from noon to 8 p.m., featuring live music, free food, bounce houses and a parade at 4 p.m. It will also include a car show by Community Services LLC. Jamal Abro, owner of  Mike’s Fresh Market, says this is a way to thank the community.

Learn how to build a rain garden

The City of Dearborn is partnering with nonprofit Friends of the Rouge to host a rain garden workshop next weekend.

Regina Sistrunk is the Community Development Compliance Officer for the City of Dearborn.  She says in a news release that rain gardens are a holistic way to prevent rainwater from entering the sewer system each year. Participants will learn how rain gardens reduce flooding and support wildlife.

The workshop is funded through Dearborn’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds. The “Rain Gardens 101” class takes place on Saturday, Aug. 9 from 10–11 a.m. at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center. To register, visit therouge.org.

COVID vaccines still recommended

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recommends getting the latest COVID-19 shot every year.

Chief Medical Executive, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, says she wants to dispel misconceptions and confusion about the shot, after the CDC stopped recommending it for healthy children and pregnant women.

“Our recommendations at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, after reviewing all of the data and guidance, have not changed. We continue to recommend the COVID vaccine for everyone aged six months and older, including those who are pregnant.”

Dr. Bagdasarian says the state’s recommendations align with national medical groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.