Head of DC's African American museum on leave as Trump targets Smithsonian

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Source: The Guardian

Wed 2 Apr 2025 13.01 EDT
Last modified on Wed 2 Apr 2025 13.10 EDT


Kevin Young, the director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington DC, is not currently in charge of the museum and has been on leave since 14 March, as Donald Trump targets the Smithsonian museum network for its content.

The Washington Post first reported that Young has been on a personal leave for an “undetermined period”, according to an email obtained by the newspaper from Kevin Gover, the Smithsonian under secretary for museums and culture. Shanita Brackett, NMAAHC’s associate director of operations, is now serving as interim director. The Post’s report is the first time that news of Young’s leave has been made public, though there is no apparent connection between his absence and the president’s executive order. The NMAAHC did not reply to a request for comment about Young’s leave.

Besides NMAAHC, several other museums under the Smithsonian network have undergone leadership changes in recent years. Stephanie Stebich, the director of the American Art Museum, was removed last year after ongoing staff complaints, the Post reported. Elizabeth C Babcock was only recently appointed as the director of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum in May.

Young, an acclaimed poet and essayist, has been director of the NMAAHC since 2021. Prior to his appointment, he served as the director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library. Young’s leave came two weeks before Trump issued an executive order calling for the elimination of what he described as “improper, divisive or anti-American ideology” within the Smithsonian.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/02/kevin-young-african-american-museum-trump-smithsonian

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1. There is no end to his reprehensible stupidity.

[SunSeeker]

3. That museum has so many priceless, poignant artifacts from African American history.

An actual slave cabin. Actual pieces of a slave ship. Actual chains used on slaves. The guard tower from the notorious Angola State Prison from the Jim Crow era, An actual Pullman Car. The list goes on and on.

I was there last year. Every American should see it. These artifacts were donated to the museum to be displayed for educational purposes, and in particular documenting slavery and Jim Crow, which gets short shrift in school history books. Trump no doubt wants to erase that history. This infuriates me.

[SunSeeker]

2. K & R for exposure.

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4. If I can get emough money at some point I'd like to go back to DC ...

Last visit was for Obama's 2nd Inauguration.

I definitely would like to visit that museum, as I certainly have read about it.

And fuck drumphf for messing w The Smithstion!

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Me, my sister, BIL & niece were there back in 2018

(it opened 2 years earlier - I am a charter member and had tix).

It's fascinating how they set it up to have the "oldest" history and historical items (slavery/middle passage) starting in the basement, where the lighting is also intentially dark/moody, and then it moves up floors (Civil War, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, Civil Rights era, etc.), until you get to the current time on the top floor. It also has it sections for the different eras of sports/entertainers/music ( through to modern hip hop).

People are still donating items to them and as an example, Debi Thomas (first black figure skater to win a championship) donated a pair of her skates and they were displayed in an exhibit case (with one of her outfits IIRC).

We were there in I think November and it was during 45's first term, and they were just starting to set up a Christmas tree at the Ellipse.

[electric_blue68]

6. Cool! And yes I remember reading anout how the history was....

arranged. As you said starting literaly down below with the middle passage/slavery.
A brilliant physical-psychological-historical set up.

Great, that people are still donating items.

Debbi Thomas - that name sounds familiar! I watched a lot of figure skating, ice dancing.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Debi Thomas was doing her thing back in the mid-late '80s

She's almost 60 now. She actually got a medical degree and specialized in orthopedic surgery but then was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder and has been going through some sad financial and health issues.