Source: Fox News
Summary
Smithsonian Institution Director Dr. Anthea Hartig has been accused of promoting an activist and Marxist-inspired approach to history. Historian Dr. Jody Edward Ginn argues that Hartig’s work is not objective and that she has been pushing an agenda throughout her career. Ginn points to Hartig’s research article “In a World He Has Created” as an example of her Marxist-informed point of view. Hartig has also been criticized for her recent testimony on Capitol Hill, where she claimed that the Smithsonian’s work is governed by nonpartisanship.
Our Reading
As expected, the matter has reached another stage.
Dr. Hartig’s research article “In a World He Has Created” reads more like a political treatise than a historical examination. Her use of Marxist theories to analyze the citrus industry in California raises questions about her objectivity. Her presidency at the Organization of American Historians and her leadership role at the California Historical Society have also been criticized for promoting activism over objective history. Hartig’s recent testimony on Capitol Hill has been called dishonest by Ginn, who argues that her research background and past statements contradict her claims of nonpartisanship. The debate has become a familiar ritual, with both sides accusing each other of promoting an agenda.
It’s almost as if the Smithsonian’s mission has become a performance, with Dr. Hartig playing the role of the activist historian.
Author: Evan Null
