Standing up in support of artists, musicians, and union workers at the Kennedy Center can take multiple forms. On Saturday, Dec 20, 2025, we joined hands with a coalition of like-minded folks, including Hands off the Arts and the Kennedy Center United Arts Workers Union, to say loud and clear to the Kennedy Center Board, President Ric Grenell, and President Donald Trump, “ Hands off the Arts! The Kennedy Center belongs to the American people.”
We joined our voices along with our community allies- Senator Chris Van Hollen, TaraHoot, The Rapid Response Choir, and you in a chorus of protest to denounce the past 10 months of political interference with the arts, union busting, and the most recent illegal name change at the Kennedy Center.
Over the past few months, we have raised our voices to highlight concerns about the direction leadership has taken at the Kennedy Center, ranging from plummeting ticket sales to union-busting and allegations of corruption and fiscal malfeasance.
The board’s latest assault on its own organization- adding Trump’s name to John F Kennedy’s Memorial- adds one more shameful dereliction of duty to the list. The illegal name change ratified by the board last week further illustrates the depths to which current leadership is determined to sink the Center into the Potomac. It wasn’t enough that their anti-woke ideological war on the arts caused the most significant revenue shortfall since the pandemic; they doubled down on the brand-killing moves of the past 10 months. They decided it was ok to name the Center after a living president. This reckless and negligent action will have detrimental effects on the Center’s sustainability going forward.
The board of any nonprofit has a duty to take care not to harm the organization it oversees. This includes not only ensuring fiscal responsibility but also maintaining the organization’s goodwill. The board’s actions so far, including the name change the board ratified last week, can only be described as self-sabotage. In addition to turning a blind eye to the decline in the organization’s fiscal future, the board has instead resorted to blasting out misinformation and propaganda to try to shape the narrative as “Trump saved the Kennedy Center from failure.”
These actions will only exacerbate the current decline in ticket revenue and further cement people’s bad will towards the Center. Before the name change, we were already facing calls for a boycott. Now, countering that narrative is even more critical.
This propaganda couldn’t be further from the truth if it tried. Instead of embracing truth and facts, the board, Ric Grenell, and his spokeswoman, Roma Daravi, resort to the age-old trumpian playbook- distort, lie, and obfuscate. They think if you say something enough times, people will believe it.
All one has to do to counter the false narrative peddled by Kennedy Center Leadership is look at past years for financial success, 90% ticket sales in prior years, and the successful partnerships prior leadership developed with donors. No amount of repetition, rinse and recycle can wash out the truth. Instead, the Center’s leadership continually sullies the organization’s name, brand, and mission.
It is essential that, as a community of artists and arts patrons, we remain vigilant in our quest to stand up against misinformation, speak the truth, and make our chorus of protest more resonant than those in power.
Senator Christ Van Hollen Spoke out against the Kennedy Center’s recent name change and the assault on the arts under its current leadership. He vowed to amend an upcoming Appropriations bill to take down Trump’s name from the Center
This weekend, we demonstrated that the combined strength of nearly 100 people’s voices on a sidewalk outside the Kennedy Center was resonant enough to bring out the National Guard, attract press coverage spanning the US and international boundaries, and, most importantly, ignite a movement in our community.
This weekend is only the beginning of a flight that we must continue. It is our solidarity and strength in community that will ensure we survive the coming years and guarantee that we are stronger for years to come. Plese join us as we expand our fight against the Kennedy Center’s interferance with the arts and the illegal name change. Share our page and information with your friends. Continue to show up in support of Artists, and continue using your voice to speak out against the authoritarian take over of The Kennedy Center.
Don’t forget to sign our Petition to hold the Kennedy Center Board and leadership accountable.
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