Yasmin williams to Perform at Kennedy Center, Cites Support for Staff Amidst Trump-Era upheaval
Washington D.C. – Guitarist and composer Yasmin Williams will perform a free show at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on September 18th, a performance imbued wiht political significance following a tumultuous period for the institution under the leadership of former President Donald Trump.
Williams initially announced the show last week, and has now shared a powerful statement explaining her decision to proceed despite past clashes with the Kennedy Center’s current leadership. The performance was originally scheduled before trump’s sweeping changes to the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees, but Williams is framing it as a gesture of solidarity with those impacted by the recent overhaul.
“I’m doing the show for all the Kennedy Center staff who formed their own union and are still working there, fighting to maintain the institution’s integrity,” Williams wrote in an Instagram post. “I’m doing it for the folks who were unjustifiably fired. I’m doing it for the elderly ushers who were told to not wear masks publicly while working, even facing backlash from higher ups if they wore one.”
The situation at the Kennedy Center has been fraught with controversy since february, when Trump was elected chairman.He subsequently appointed Richard Grenell as interim executive director and dismissed all 18 Democratic appointees from the traditionally bipartisan board. These actions sparked widespread protest within the arts community, leading to the resignation of prominent figures like Ben Folds, who stepped down as artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra. Dozens of other artists, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Rhiannon Giddens, and Issa Rae, have also voiced their opposition to the changes.
Williams herself experienced the shift firsthand, engaging in a heated email exchange with Grenell in April, details of which she shared in a recent interview with Pitchfork.
While the Kennedy Center navigates this period of transition, Williams’ performance stands as a clear message of support for the institution’s staff and a rebuke of the political interference that has shaken its foundations.
Keywords: Yasmin Williams, Kennedy Center, Donald Trump, Richard Grenell, Ben Folds, National Symphony Orchestra, Arts Politics, Washington DC, Music News, Performance, Unionization.
