The internal announcement, which has not previously been made public, came nearly two weeks before President Trump issued an executive order promising a wide-ranging overhaul of the Smithsonian.

The idea for a national museum of African American history and culture had been around for 100 years. When the project for the National Museum of African American of History and Culture (NMAAHC) finally came together, founding director Lonnie G. Bunch III had a specific vision for it.

The director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, Kevin Young, has gone on personal leave, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing an internal email it obtained.

US President Donald Trump accuses the Smithsonian Institution of propagating "divisive, race-based ideology" and issued an executive order demanding an end to federal funding for exhibitions and programs based on racial themes that "divide Americans.

Trump’s order casts a long shadow over the Smithsonian, which, while not a federal agency, is a trust instrumentality of the U.S. government and operates under the guidance of a Board of Regents

President Trump signed an executive order targeting funding for Smithsonian Institution programs that he says contain "divisive, race-centered ideology."