Earl Walker Jackson, a Black bishop and author who is a descendant of enslaved people, has voiced strong criticism of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, accusing it of engaging in anti-American "indoctrination."

Jackson's concerns stem from a White House report released in July that described the museum as having undergone "ideological capture" and promoting "woke ideology." The report included an examination of museum exhibits, placards, and leadership.

He stated in an interview that while his great-grandparents were enslaved, he believes being born American offers unparalleled opportunity and hope. Jackson expressed anger and sadness over what he perceives as smears against the U.S. emanating from institutions like the Smithsonian.

"It makes me angry when people do this to our country, but it’s sad too because what it tells me is that the indoctrination machine is hard at work convincing people [of] this narrative," Jackson said. "This is a wonderful country; it’s the greatest nation on earth. And you’ve got people so indoctrinated into seeing our country sliced and diced into race and ethnicity and class and income and so forth that they fail to understand the blessing of the United States of America."

The scrutiny intensified following congressional hearings that focused on the museum's leadership, particularly NMAH Director Anthea Hartig. A resurfaced video showed Hartig referring to "history as a practice" as a "prime tool of social justice." In a presentation to University of California, Los Angeles, students in February 2025, Hartig asserted that the nation's "long and violent racial history" is present in its reckoning and that "redress in the form of reparation… should leverage responsibility, it should think about the act of correction, as we pursue restorative justice."

Jackson countered Hartig's view, stating, "She talks about how history should be a tool of social justice. No, history should be facts about what has happened in the past and leave others to draw their own conclusions about what those facts mean." He believes Hartig's approach aims to make people "angry and bitter and resentful of our country because of our past."

Jackson claims he has been warning about what he calls "woke ideology" at the Smithsonian for years. In 2015, he publicly questioned the inclusion of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger in an exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, citing Sanger's past advocacy for eugenics and alleged racism.

He attributes much of what he sees as "ideological capture" in institutions like the Smithsonian, as well as in education, media, and sports, to the influence of Howard Zinn's book "A People’s History of the United States." Jackson described Zinn as a "professed anarchist" who wrote the book as a "polemic against America," asserting that it remains highly influential in public schools and colleges.

Jackson pointed to materials from the Zinn Education Project that draw parallels between current deportation operations and those of the Great Depression, which the materials characterize as rooted in "racial expulsion" and racism. He argued that such teachings from an early age contribute to negative views of the United States.

"If you’re learning that from the very beginning of your education, my goodness, by the time you’re an adult and you’ve been through 20,000 hours of that, no wonder we’ve got people protesting outside of ICE facilities, and no wonder you’ve got people at the Smithsonian talking about America as if we’re the worst place on earth to live," he said. "They frankly have been brainwashed and indoctrinated into it."

Conversely, Jackson expressed his belief in the United States' capacity for affirming human dignity and opportunity. "There is no place on earth that has been more affirming of human dignity, offered more opportunity for human flourishing," he stated. "And frankly acknowledged in spite of the apparent differences that we have, that we are ultimately one nation under God."

Jackson, who is the great-grandson of slaves and experienced a broken home and foster care, credits his personal successes to living in a country where "anything is possible" and individuals are free to pursue their dreams.