Black conservative filmmaker challenges Smithsonian over public screening of his documentary
Filmmaker Eli Steele says the Smithsonian’s African American History museum has refused to schedule a public showing of his documentary “White Guilt,” while it has hosted other films with progressive viewpoints.
Eli Steele, whose father is the Black conservative scholar Shelby Steele, asked the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture to host a public screening of his documentary “White Guilt,” which critiques what he sees as “white guilt” and identity politics. The museum responded that the two dates he suggested were unavailable and later offered a private-rental arrangement priced at $35,000, without confirming any alternative public dates.
Steele points out that the museum has previously programmed films such as “13th,” “Hidden Figures,” “I Am Not Your Negro,” and a 2023 exploration of Afro-Latine spirituality. Commentators Carol Swain and Jason Riley suggest the museum’s handling of the request illustrates a pattern of marginalizing conservative Black voices, especially as the institution faces pressure from the Trump administration over alleged ideological bias. The filmmaker and supporters argue that a public screening would foster a broader debate on race and merit within the museum’s mission.
Why it matters
The dispute highlights tensions over viewpoint diversity in a major national museum amid political pressure on cultural institutions.
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