As the Trump administration pushes for sweeping changes to federal cultural institutions, those in the DMV areas should make sure to get out and appreciate the museum exhibits that are threatened. With a proposed slate of budget cuts and a renewed effort to “eliminate improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology,” cultural leaders and artists are sounding the alarm that some of the country’s most vital and honest exhibitions may soon be at risk.
The National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts are once again facing the threat of defunding, and the White House’s Office of Management and Budget has begun reviewing museum content for adherence to what the administration calls “patriotic values.” That includes exhibits that critically examine racism, colonialism, and systemic oppression.
These efforts have raised concerns across the museum community, especially in the nation’s capital, where federally funded institutions have long been home to some of the country’s most socially conscious and historically accurate displays.
Below are four exhibits worth visiting now while they’re still here.
Slavery and Freedom — National Museum of African American History and Culture
Located on the museum’s lower level, this exhibit is a deeply moving chronicle of how enslaved Africans built the foundation of the United States. From shackles and auction blocks to freedom papers and protest artifacts, “Slavery and Freedom” presents a clear-eyed, unflinching look at American history. Visitors walk through centuries of resistance, resilience, and revolution — a truth-telling journey that, under new federal guidelines, may face scrutiny for being too “divisive.”
We Gather at the Edge — Renwick Gallery
This quietly radical exhibit by Black women fiber artists is a powerful ode to generational storytelling through quilts. “We Gather at the Edge” stitches together tales of mourning, memory, survival and celebration. The textiles function as both art and archive — holding space for voices that have often been marginalized. The exhibit reclaims quilting as a medium of resistance and creative defiance, celebrating the strength of Black women’s artistic legacies.
Pride and Belonging in African Art — National Museum of African Art
Though this exhibit is currently not on display, it is one that all of us should keep an eye out for. It was initially supposed to open in May, but due to budgetary concerns the museum is facing as a result of Trump’s actions it has been postponed to “early 2026.” In a political climate increasingly hostile toward LGBTQ+ rights, this exhibition would be a bold act of visibility. “Pride and Belonging” features queer African artists working across photography, sculpture, film and fabric, challenging colonial and heteronormative narratives. The exhibit confronts the erasure of queer identity in both African and Western art canons and creates a space where self-expression and cultural pride intersect. It’s one of the few exhibits of its kind in any federally funded museum — and its future is far from guaranteed.
The Struggle for Justice — National Portrait Gallery
This poignant, multimedia exhibit offers a sweeping visual narrative of the people who have shaped modern American democracy by fighting for justice and equality. It honors the activists, organizers and everyday citizens who transformed the nation’s civic landscape through decades of civil rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights and disability rights movements. Through portraits and biographical context, it illustrates how individuals from historically excluded groups reshaped the meaning of American democracy. In a political environment increasingly focused on narrowing historical interpretation, this exhibit’s focus on grassroots resistance and systemic change is vitally important to recognize.
As lawmakers debate what stories America should tell, museum directors and curators face difficult decisions. Already, some report feeling pressure to revise exhibit language and remove certain content. In a statement earlier this month, the American Alliance of Museums warned that “attempts to censor or defund exhibits that center historically marginalized communities represent a dangerous step toward historical erasure.”
For now, the exhibits remain open. But their future is uncertain.
So go — walk through these halls of memory, creativity and truth. Before they’re reimagined beyond recognition, or gone altogether.
