A cherished holiday musical tradition in Washington, D.C., has been abruptly called off following a controversial decision to alter the name of the iconic performing arts venue that hosted it. The annual Christmas Eve jazz concert at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts will not go ahead this year, with the event's host citing the recent addition of former President Donald Trump's name to the facility.
Host Takes a Stand Against Name Change
Musician Chuck Redd, a drummer and vibraphonist who has performed with legends like Dizzy Gillespie, made the decision to cancel the performance. Redd has presided over the holiday "Jazz Jams" at the center since 2006, taking over from bassist William "Keter" Betts. The tradition itself spans more than two decades.
Redd stated he canceled the show after seeing Trump's name added to the Kennedy Center's website and, hours later, physically affixed to the building's facade. As of last Friday, the building officially reads: The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. The Kennedy Center's website lists the event as canceled, and the institution did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the cancellation.
Legal and Historical Controversy
The name change has ignited a significant legal and historical debate. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, and Congress passed a law the following year designating the center as a living memorial to him. Legal scholars and former officials, including ex-House historian Ray Smock, argue that the board's action violates this law. The statute explicitly prohibits the board of trustees from making the center a memorial to anyone else or from placing another person's name on the building's exterior.
The White House has stated that the name change was approved by the president's handpicked board. Trump had suggested for months that he was open to altering the center's name. Kerry Kennedy, President Kennedy's niece, has vowed to have Trump's name removed from the building once he leaves office, asserting that any permanent changes would require Congressional approval.
Part of a Broader Cultural Shift
The renaming and Redd's protest are not isolated incidents. Since Trump returned to office, his administration has taken a deep interest in the center named for an iconic Democratic president, after largely ignoring it during his first term. Trump has forced out the center's leadership, overhauled its board while arranging to head it himself, and personally hosted this year's Kennedy Center Honors, breaking a long tradition of presidential spectatorship. Administration officials describe these moves as part of a larger mission to combat "woke" culture within federal cultural institutions.
The backlash from the arts community has been tangible. Redd's Christmas Eve cancellation joins a growing list of artists who have withdrawn from Kennedy Center events, including Issa Rae, Peter Wolf, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, who canceled a planned production of "Hamilton."
The cancellation of this holiday jazz concert underscores the ongoing tension between political influence and artistic expression at one of the nation's most prominent cultural landmarks, leaving a silent stage on what was to be a night of festive music.
