Washington D.C.-based guitarist Yasmin Williams has shared on Instagram a series of contentious emails she exchanged with Richard Grenell, the interim executive director of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Williams asked Grenell about reported walk-backs of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at the center. The Trump Administration removed president Deborah Rutter and replaced 18 board members with Second Lady Usha Vance and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. President Donald Trump also made himself chair of the Kennedy Center.
Since these changes have been made, artists like Shonda Rhimes, creator of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal,” and creator/star Issa Rae have distanced themselves from the Kennedy Center.
Williams specifically asked Grenell, “does the President actually care about artists cancelling shows at the Kennedy Center?” and “what, if anything, has changed about the Kennedy Center regarding hiring practices, performance booking, and staffing?”
The responses from the interim executive director led to Williams calling the entire interaction “bizarre,” going as far as to suggest to CNN it was written by “ChatGPT.”
Grenell wrote in response, “let me ask you this question, would you play for Republicans or would you boycott if Republicans came to your show?” Williams replied that she has played to Republican crowds because, in her view, “boycotting anything because Republicans exist and may be at a show of mine makes no sense to me.”
In another email response, Grenell claimed the Kennedy Center faced severe financial difficulties, with “zero in the bank and zero in reserves,” due to what he called “woke” programming.
“Yes, I cut the DEI b------- because we can’t afford to pay people for fringe and niche programming that the public won’t support,” he wrote. “Yes, we are doing programming for the masses in order to pay our bills.”
Williams replied, “I’m honestly shocked at how unprofessional your emails are.”
The D.C.-based artist is not the only musician to have a tense exchange with the interim executive director. Grammy-winning musician Cathy Fink also reached out as she has performed at the Kennedy Center since the 1980s. As NPR notes, the artist emailed Grenell in March, citing an article from the Washington Post where the Trump administration stated they were committed to diverse points of view.
Grenell replied: “Can you tell me why you believe the Wash post? We didn’t cancel a single show. You are flat wrong.”
Despite Fink’s attempts to speak to Grenell in person, they have not been responded to.
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Murjani Rawls may be reached at mrawls@njadvancemedia.com