An Introduction to Me and My Thesis!

Hi! My name is Emma Nastro and I am a fourth year Museum Studies major with a double minor in Environmental Science and Art History and an immersion in Legal Studies. My thesis topic is the governance structures and legal frameworks of the Smithsonian's history museums, and how those structures and frameworks can prevent the Smithsonian from portraying complex historical narratives or views that vary from that of the current United States government. Right now I am looking at the Smithsonian's leadership format and bylaws, as well as laws passed by Congress regarding the Smithsonian. I will also be looking at case law regarding situations similar to the Smithsonian (of which the legal definition is very unclear). This thesis was inspired by my love of legal research and my love for public libraries, which are facing a lot of censorship threats currently and are being covered extensively in mainstream news alongside issues of free speech on college campuses. I wondered if public museums like the Smithsonian faced similar threats as to what content they could put in their exhibits and programming. I'm looking forward to sharing my research and writing progress throughout this semester :)