Newsreels

Smithsonian shuts diversity office after Trump order

Arts Professional
2 min read

The Smithsonian has joined other federally-funded US organisations in dropping its commitment to promoting diverse hiring practices following an executive order by President Donald Trump which declared workplace diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives as “illegal and immoral”.

The institution, which includes 21 museums, 14 education and research centres and the US National Zoo, told its 6,500 workers last week that it would close its diversity office as the “first step” in addressing the executive orders.

A Smithsonian spokesperson said: “Our institution is fully committed to excellence in our workforce, free from discrimination and harassment.”

“We are closing our office of diversity but retaining our efforts at visitor accessibility as it serves a critical function.”

Last week, the US National Gallery of Art, a federal government institution, removed references to DEI from its website and closed its Office of Belonging and Inclusion, re-deploying staff to other positions within the organisation.

The Smithsonian is not a federal agency, but the majority of its budget comes from the US government, while two-thirds of its workers are federal employees.

The organisation has paused hiring for federal positions and is requiring its staff to return to in-person work from April.