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 questioned the apparent decision to not screen his film, given that the museum has allowed numerous other films with more progressive messages to have public screenings, though stopped short of accusing the museum of ideological discrimination. "13th," the film mentioned by Steele, is featured in educational and public programming at the NMAAHC.
It argues that the 13th Amendment’s exception permitting forced labor as punishment for a crime enabled racial control to persist after slavery by allegedly criminalizing Black behavior. Other films shown by the NMAAHC in public screenings include such titles as "Hidden Figures" in 2016, "I Am Not Your Negro" in 2017 and "Faith in Blackness: An Exploration of AfroLatine Spirituality" in 2023, the latter presented in partnership with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. LIBERAL FACULTY STILL HUGELY OUTNUMBER CONSERVATIVES IN HIGHER EDUCATION: REPORT While Steele was hesitant to speculate as to why his film hadn't been scheduled for a public screening, other Black conservatives saw the museum's handling of his request as part of a familiar pattern.
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