President Donald J. Trump has dismissed members of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts board of trustees and has announced plans to appoint himself as chairman.
His rationale? “Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our [youth] – THIS WILL STOP,” Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social.
A pressing concern for everyone, particularly Black Americans, is how Trump’s intervention will affect the promotion of our art and culture, especially since everything in society under the new administration is primarily viewed negatively through the lens of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
The arts organization noted the unprecedented nature of Trump’s action.
“Per the Center’s governance established by Congress in 1958, the chair of the board of trustees is appointed by the Center’s board members,” the celebrated arts organization continued. “There is nothing in the Center’s statute that would prevent a new administration from replacing board members; however, this would be the first time such action has been taken with the Kennedy Center’s board.”
While Trump has been anti-DEI, the Kennedy Center promotes and celebrates the beauty and breadth of diversity, equity and inclusion. For the Kennedy Center, DEI contributes to the variety of work and artists that perform on their stages annually.
Further, the D.C.-based national arts venue promotes Black art through various programs, including the Kennedy Center Honors, the Black Commission, and the Black Light Employee Resource Group. It also hosts events, creates resources, and facilitates discussions about Black artists and culture.
“Today, as always, art knows no national boundaries. ” said President Kennedy in 1962, at a fundraiser for the entertainment venue that included opera singer Marian Anderson. “Genius can speak in any tongue, and the entire world will hear it. And listen.”
Amid Trump’s announcement, the renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was wrapping a six-day engagement at the Kennedy Center.
With the president’s plans, are companies like Ailey and other Black artists at jeopardy of losing their opportunities to perform at the Kennedy Center for the next four years?