The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has fired at least five members of its Social Impact team, including its artistic director, the renowned artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph. The team aimed to expand the art center’s reach to diverse audiences and to commission new works by Black composers. The job terminations come weeks after President Trump took over the Kennedy Center, named himself chair and fired most of the board of trustees. Marc Bamuthi Joseph recorded this video from his office after learning of his firing.

Marc Bamuthi Joseph: “Well, I am sitting in my office at the Kennedy Center one last time. It’s funny. I’m taking things down, like this red, black and green American flag and this extraordinary piece of artwork that my man Greg made that honors Stevie Wonder and this poster from BAM and a commemorative album that was organized by Swizz Beatz. Basically, I’m taking down everything Black in my office, just as the new leadership of the Kennedy Center is doing its best to disavow much of the literal color that has made this place special.”

Marc Bamuthi Joseph, speaking after being fired as artistic director of Social Impact at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, after President Trump took over as chair of the board. This past weekend, Marc Bamuthi Joseph performed his piece “Carnival of the Animals,” an allegory to January 6 and the insurrection. He performed it Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center here in New York.