The Kennedy Center’s long-standing Christmas Eve jazz concert was pulled from the schedule after the White House announced that President Donald Trump’s name would be added to the iconic venue.
The Naming Decision
Last week the White House announced that the center’s façade would now read “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” The change was approved by a board that the president hand-picked, a move scholars have said violates the law that established the center as a memorial to President Kennedy.
Trump had been suggesting for months that the center’s name could be altered. When the updated name appeared on the Kennedy Center website and, hours later, on the building itself, the venue’s host decided to cancel the concert.
Chuck Redd’s Decision
Musician and longtime host of the center’s holiday Jazz Jams, Chuck Redd, emailed the Associated Press on Wednesday:
> “When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert,” Redd said.
Redd, a drummer and vibraphone player who has toured with Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown and many others, has led the Kennedy Center’s Jazz Jams since 2006, taking over from bassist William “Keter” Betts. The center’s website now lists the concert as canceled, and the venue has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Legal and Congressional Context
Congress passed a law in 1964 that names the center as a living memorial to President Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. The law explicitly bars the board of trustees from turning the center into a memorial to anyone else or from placing another name on the building’s exterior.
Kerry Kennedy, the president’s niece, has vowed to remove Trump’s name from the building once he leaves office. Former House historian Ray Smock is among those who say any changes would have to be approved by Congress.
Trump’s Involvement with the Center
Trump, a Republican, had largely ignored the Kennedy Center during his first term. He later forced out the center’s leadership, overhauled its board, and arranged to head it. He also personally hosted this year’s Kennedy Center honors, breaking a long tradition of presidents serving mainly as spectators. These actions are part of the president’s broader effort to challenge what he calls “woke” culture at federal cultural institutions.
Artists Responding to the Change
Since Trump returned to office, several artists have cancelled performances at the Kennedy Center. The list includes Issa Rae, Peter Wolf, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, who cancelled a planned production of “Hamilton.” The cancellation of the Christmas Eve jazz concert adds to the growing number of cancellations prompted by the center’s name change.
Key Takeaways
- The Kennedy Center’s Christmas Eve jazz concert has been cancelled after the building’s name was changed to include President Trump.
- The change was approved by a board hand-picked by Trump and is said to violate a 1964 law that designates the center as a memorial to President Kennedy.
- Chuck Redd, the concert’s host, cited the name change as the reason for canceling the event.
- Legal experts and congressional figures say any removal of Trump’s name would require congressional approval.
The cancellation underscores the tension between the Kennedy Center’s historic mission and the current administration’s attempts to reshape its identity. The venue’s future programming will likely continue to be affected by the ongoing debate over the building’s name and the legal constraints that govern it.
