Yesterday, a lone Senator blocked proposals for Smithsonian museums dedicated to Latinx and women's history from unanimous approval by the Senate. The Senator suggested that the two museums, which have strong bipartisan support in congress, would “further divide an already divided nation within an array of separate but equal museums of hyphenated identity group.” My own experience with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture suggests that approval of the proposed museums represent an important step toward national unity. For context, I am biology professor who works with students interested in careers in healthcare. In the spring of 2018 my students and I attended a conference in Washington D.C. related to their interest in the health professions. We found ourselves with a day off from conference activities and so took the opportunity to visit some of the 19 Smithsonian Museums and Galleries in the capital city. Given the diverse interests of our group and limited time, we decided to split up. As you might expect, a majority of my science students chose the National Museum of Natural History while others were drawn to exhibits focused on medicine at the National Museum of American History.