*While several entertainers have distanced themselves from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts since President Trump took over as chairman, W. Kamau Bell is taking a different approach.
The Emmy-winning comedian decided not to cancel his scheduled shows at the center, where his 10-city tour will kick off at the venue.
“I think Joe Biden was still running for president when the show was booked,” Bell told NPR’s Morning Edition. “So like, this was not connected to any of this.”
As CBS reports, Trump fired board members and installed himself as chairman last week, prompting backlash from the arts community. Critics have pointed out that the new board lacks any African American members and consists entirely of Trump allies, many of whom have no experience in the arts.
“Trump had already said that he was going to take over, but nobody knew what that meant. And so on the flight [to Washington, D.C.] I got the Wi-Fi, as I always do, and I started getting emails and texts from people about it like and it was just like a clear sense of like, oh, something’s happened, you know?” Bell added.
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“I did a show there years ago in one of the smaller rooms, so I have a lot of respect for the Kennedy Center, and you can’t help but feel like how cool it is to be there even as an audience member,” the TV host said. “You sort of feel like a bona fide winner at the Kennedy Center. There’s something about like, nobody’s going to tell me I’m not an artist of note ever again, you know?”
As we reported earlier, Emmy-winning actress Issa Rae canceled her sold-out show at the Kennedy Center following a major leadership shakeup. Several prominent figures also resigned in protest, including opera star Renée Fleming, TV producer Shonda Rhimes, and attorney Bob Barnett. Musician Ben Folds also stepped down from his role with the National Symphony Orchestra.
President Trump referred to himself in the third person when announcing the Kennedy Center shakeup on Truth Social. His post read: “President Donald J. Trump was just unanimously elected Chairman of the Board of the prestigious Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The President stated, “It is a Great Honor to be Chairman of The Kennedy Center, especially with this amazing Board of Trustees. We will make The Kennedy Center a very special and exciting place!”
Trump’s leadership signals a shift away from what he calls “woke culture,” raising concerns about the future direction of the Kennedy Center’s programming. The changes have sparked outrage among artists and supporters of the institution, with many calling it a tragic moment for the arts.
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Issa Rae Cancels Kennedy Center Show Amid Trump’s Leadership Shakeup
