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Story summary
- The Smithsonian will return the 33-pound timber from the sunken slave ship São José-Paquete de Africa to South Africa later this month under a loan agreement.
- The timber has been part of the "Slavery and Freedom" exhibit since 2016 and will be replaced by a cargo manifest.
- The exhibit highlights the Middle Passage, where millions perished.
- Museum officials say the change stems from a loan, not political pressures amid scrutiny.
