Artists are taking a stand against President Donald Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center.
Earlier this month, Donald Trump announced he would be the next chairman of the venerable arts institution. To that end, he ousted many members of the performing arts center’s board and replaced them with loyalists like Second Lady Usha Vance, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino. The Trump-approved board quickly voted the president into his new role and fired the center’s long-time president, Deborah Rutter.
The coup at the national cultural center has sparked an outcry among entertainers. Issa Rae chose to cancel an upcoming appearance at the venue in protest.
The “One of Them Days” producer thanked fans on Instagram but canceled the sold-out appearance “due to what I believe to be an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums.” The “Insecure” co-creator and star’s mid-March show was pulled from the Kennedy Center website later on Thursday.
Philadelphia rock band Low Cut Connie also scrapped an event at the venue, citing Trump’s overreach.
“Upon learning that this institution that has run non-partisan for 54 years is now chaired by President Trump himself and his regime, I decided I will not perform there,” a statement posted on Instagram read. “Arts institutions are one area that should be immune from our corrosive political culture.”
Several artists affiliated with the Kennedy Center have stepped away from their roles in the wake of Trump’s power play. Shonda Rhimes, the producer, director and screenwriter behind hits like “Gray’s Anatomy” and “Scandal,” stepped down from her post as the center’s treasurer this week. Musician Ben Folds revealed that he would no longer work as an adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra, a group that calls the venue home.
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