Confronting the Censorship and Misinformation Era in Museums
Eras of censorship and misinformation are not unfamiliar to the United States—from the repression of political activists to banned books to manufacturing consent for genocide. Today, many feel scared and unsure of how to proceed with this administration’s actions and orders regarding repression of political speech and censorship of topics like race and gender identity. So how do we, as evaluators and museum professionals, confront this era?
1..Stay steadfast in your values and commitments
One of the most important things you can do is stay steadfast to the values you hold and the commitments you have made. For example, at Kera Collective, we have pledged to be anti-racist, and we work towards this goal by regularly analyzing our methods and approach and taking actions to evolve our own processes (like staff compensation, evaluation frameworks, and data collection methods). Many museums, post 2020, created DEAI strategies, made commitments to anti-racism, and generally increased participation in dialogue surrounding tough topics, like systemic racism in the industry. Museums must use their reputation as public-facing institutional powers to hold onto their commitments to anti-racism, DEAI, and visitor belonging. By continuing to adhere to your approach, you are making it clear that values such as being anti-racist and equitable are not fleeting trends, but objectives that are worth fighting for consistently.
2. Think of creative ways to fight for what is important
Fighting misinformation and censorship is tough—that’s why embracing flexibility is necessary to fight for what is important. Although censorship may try to bound us with regulations, we can think creatively on how we can push past those boundaries. For example, The Free Pages Project is an initiative fighting national book bans through art by creating sculptural community libraries out of banned books. This is a great example of how art and activism can work together to advocate for others. A study published earlier this year by Artists at Risk Connection (ARC), PEN America, and the Association of Art Museum Directors found that nearly 65% of museum directors have experienced pressure to not show an artwork or present an exhibition at least once in their career. When not able to host an exhibition or have an artwork featured, museums could host open forums with their audiences, inviting an open discussion regarding the issue. In times of misinformation and censorship, it is more important than ever to speak to one another and not be afraid of hard conversations.
3. Create a censorship plan
Museums face pressure to censor certain exhibitions, content, and programming. If you worry your institution will face censorship, create a plan in advance for what to do. What is important to your institution? Think about your commitments to anti-racism, DEAI, and to the communities you serve. Will you fight all instances of censorship? There may be censorship regarding certain words or phrases that you face pressure to purge from your content, or certain artist’s work may be censored. You may need to change your strategy—maybe you can alter the interpretation of an artwork rather than taking it down. How will you communicate to your audiences what has changed, and why? Some museums may not feel comfortable telling their audience what happens behind closed doors, while others may feel that their patrons should be privy to this information. Have these conversations with your staff, your donors, and your audience. Create a short-term and a long-term censorship plan to make sure that you can keep your commitments to anti-racism, DEAI, and any other values you have.
Adopting a Futurist Mindset
My last piece of advice is that although some may call this an unprecedented time, remember that instances of misinformation and censorship are simply recurrences in American history. From banning comic books to McCarthyism to student activism repression, Americans have been through this, and we will get through this again. Adopting a defeatist mentality will only serve to harm yourself and your community. By adopting a futurist mindset, we can learn to adapt to a new era. Indigenous thought and Afrofuturism depict through art, literature, and speculation, a new future. By thinking more about the various challenges our organizations may face, we are making space for creative thinking, flexibility, and adaptability. We will get through these tough times, and we will be stronger for it in the end.
