Smithsonian screening dispute puts museum's commitment to diverse views on trial: 'Right kind of Black?'
FIRST ON FOX — A Black conservative filmmaker is challenging the Smithsonian to explain why his documentary questioning progressive views on race has yet to secure a public screening at...
By Fox News · Fox News
FIRST ON FOX — A Black conservative filmmaker is challenging the Smithsonian to explain why his documentary questioning progressive views on race has yet to secure a public screening at its African American history museum, which has previously showcased films examining systemic racism. "White Guilt," directed and co-produced by Eli Steele, is based on a book by his father, noted Black conservative academic Shelby Steele. The younger Steele, who is Black, Jewish and deaf, has drawn on his own experiences to challenge prevailing views on race and identity. The documentary argues that White guilt over America's racial history, along with fears of being labeled racist, has pushed institutions to prioritize racial identity over individual merit. The dispute comes as the Smithsonian faces mounting pressure from President Donald Trump and his administration over allegations of ideological bias in its portrayal of American history. The White House has accused the institution of promoting progressive narratives and threatened to restrict federal support, escalating a broader battle over whose perspectives are represented in the nation's museums. SMITHSONIAN AMERICA 250 EXHIBIT FEATURES 3X MORE LIBERAL ITEMS THAN CONSERVATIVE ONES Steele provided communications to Fox News Digital showing that the museum declined his proposed screening dates and offered him a private rental option instead. The filmmaker says the museum has yet to respond to his request for alternative dates for a public screening. "The film is professionally shot, the quality is there. A comparable film that they've shown is '13th,' which itself is a very controversial film ," Steele told Fox News Digital. "So that's the big question we have here: Do we have viewpoint diversity or do we not? Do you have to be the right kind of Black to be shown at the Smithsonian?" "That's the big question that we have to address in this room. But I hope that it's not about any of that," he continued. The filmmaker has quest…