Black History Museum Comes Out From Under Rock to Celebrate Bill Cosby With New Exhibition

“If they just speak about the contributions, there will be this enormous presence that is not talked about,” Patricia Leary Steuer, 59, who has accused Mr. Cosby of assaulting her decades ago, said on Saturday.

The curators said “his achievements should stand alone.” There will be pieces on display from Cosby’s time working on I Spy and The Cosby Show, along with reflections of his relationship with the black Hollywood stuntmen. Ironically, Cosby was dropped from the group’s recent documentary in 2015.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture isn’t the only institution trying to figure out how to distance themselves from Cosby while negotiating his place in history. A number of universities where the actor was given a variety of different honorary degrees have rescinded their awards, and the Smithsonian has added a caveat to the announcement of the Cosbys’ contribution to their art collection with a small sign saying showing his art doesn’t mean the organization condones his allegations.