by Kandiss Edwards
February 13, 2025
Famed writer-producer Shonda Rhimes will no longer serve as treasurer for the Kennedy Center amid Donald Trump’s Appointment as Chairman.
Shonda Rhimes resigned as Kennedy Center treasurer amid Donald Trump’s appointment as chairman.
Donald Trump was appointed chairman of the Kennedy Center after firing its president, Deborah F. Rutter. On the heels of the announcement, a spokesperson for Rhimes confirmed her exit.
“Please be advised that as of today, Shonda Rhimes has resigned from the board of the Kennedy Center,” the spokesperson said.
The writer-producer shared a screenshot on her Instagram account confirming the news. She captioned the post with a quote from former President John F. Kennedy, whom the institution is named after.
“’If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.’ – John F. Kennedy”
The quote may reference Trump’s removal of Kennedy Center board members appointed during the Biden administration.
Along with Rhimes and Rutter’s exit from the Kennedy Center, Ben Folds and Renée Fleming, both announced their resignation as artistic adviser of the National Symphony Orchestra and artistic adviser at large, respectively.
Fleming commented on the bi-partisan efforts by Washington committees to be a “beacon of America at its best.” Trump insinuated the vision of bi-partisan diversity spoken of by Fleming is not a “shared vision.”
“At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN. I have decided to immediately terminate multiple individuals from the Board of Trustees, including the Chairman, who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
It is unclear what the now fully conservative board of the Kennedy Center believes a “Golden Age in Arts” entails.
According to its website, “The Honors have been compared to a knighthood in Britain or the French Legion of Honor—the quintessential reward for a lifetime’s endeavor.”
A notable and diverse group of honorees have received lifetime recognition, including Quincy Jones, Queen Latifah, Aretha Franklin, Alvin Ailey, and Debbie Allen.
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