After some lawmakers questioned the Smithsonian, a video of Hartig's presentation showed her calling history a tool for social justice.

Hartig defended the Smithsonian's objectivity in July hearings. However, in her presentation, she described the museum's approach as equity-based and community-driven.

Hartig said the US has a long and violent racial history that still affects us today.

She talked about making things right through restorative justice and taking responsibility for past wrongs.

There is a timeline of the White House fight over 'woke' history.

Hartig and other experts testified about the Smithsonian's efforts to reshape the past. They spoke during a House Oversight hearing in July 2026.

Hartig said the museum's work is governed by standards of scholarship and accuracy. She stated that the museum does not take sides in political debates.

However, Hartig said history is a tool for social justice in her presentation to UCLA students.

Hartig began her talk with a land acknowledgement and showed a picture of a defaced American flag. She also showed a photo of a protester holding a sign that read, 'America loving you is complicated.'

She said the museum has moved away from its original focus on showcasing American technology and advancement.

There was a row over the Smithsonian's depiction of American history.

The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History is being criticized for presenting 'woke' revisionist history.

Hartig highlighted the museum's new vision to become more accessible and inclusive. This vision aims to serve a diverse audience that reflects the US demographics.

The museum joined a collecting effort around Black Lives Matter to document and preserve objects related to the movement.

Hartig shared a picture of protest signs outside the White House and praised the messages as heartfelt and poignant.

She also praised an anti-ICE organization called 'Tsuru for Solidarity' for its collaboration with the Black Lives Matter movement.

Tsuru for Solidarity is a nonviolent project that works to end detention sites and support immigrant and refugee communities. The organization draws on the moral authority of Japanese Americans who suffered during WWII.

There are former Democratic staffers and DEI leaders in the Smithsonian leadership.

Activists burned a US flag at Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House in July 2020.

The museum is pursuing a multilingual strategy to support language justice.

Hartig explained that everyone has the right to communicate in their preferred language.

Since 2019, all exhibitions and signage have been at least bilingual in English and Spanish.

Hartig said the museum is under attack for speaking complicated truths and urged students to raise their voices.

She believes history is the key to understanding humanity and its complexities.

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Hartig said the museum's role is to tell stories, seek truths, and defend inalienable rights.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the National Museum of American History and other organizations for comment.

Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.