Shake-Up at the Smithsonian: Head of DC’s African American Museum Placed on Leave Amid Trump’s New Agenda

Kevin Young, director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), has been on leave since March 14, as former president Donald Trump ramps up pressure on the Smithsonian Institution. According to The Washington Post, Young’s leave was described as “personal” and for an “undetermined period,” per an internal email from Kevin Gover, the Smithsonian’s under secretary for museums and culture. Shanita Brackett, associate director of operations, is now serving as interim director. The NMAAHC has not publicly commented on Young’s absence.

Young’s leave began just two weeks before Trump issued an executive order aimed at purging the Smithsonian of what he labeled “improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology.” The order specifically called out NMAAHC, accusing the museum of promoting ideas like “‘hard work,’ ‘individualism,’ and ‘the nuclear family’” as being tied to “White culture.”

“Once widely respected as a symbol of American excellence and a global icon of cultural achievement, the Smithsonian Institution has, in recent years, come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology,” the executive order states.

Although no direct connection has been made between Young’s leave and the executive order, the timing has raised questions. The situation at NMAAHC follows broader leadership shifts across the Smithsonian. Stephanie Stebich, former director of the American Art Museum, was removed after staff complaints, and Elizabeth C. Babcock was recently appointed to head the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.

Kevin Young, a celebrated poet and essayist, has led the NMAAHC since 2021. Prior to that, he directed the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library.

Responding to the executive order, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch reaffirmed the institution’s mission: “We will continue to employ our internal review processes which keep us accountable to the public… Our work will be shaped by the best scholarship, free of partisanship, to help the American public better understand our nation’s history, challenges, and triumphs.” Bunch added that the Smithsonian remains “committed to telling the multi-faceted stories of this country’s extraordinary heritage.”

Link: Washington Post