Washington, National Gallery halts diversity programs after Trump's executive order

The National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington, D.C., has decided to discontinue its programs dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), complying with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on his inauguration day. The order, which describes such plans as “illegal and unethical,” has had an immediate impact on the institution’s policies. DEI programs, which aim to promote the full participation of all people (and particularly historically underrepresented or discriminated against groups) in the workplace, have long-standing origins dating back at least to the civil rights movement of the 1960s. A strong impetus for DEI programs came in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd. This is a polarizing issue in the United States: supporters of DEI programs see them as plans to promote inclusion; critics see them as unfair and partisan programs(more on this here).

“The Biden administration has imposed illegal and unethical discrimination programs, called ’diversity, equity and inclusion’ (DEI), in virtually every aspect of the federal government, in areas ranging from aviation security to the military. This was a concerted effort that originated from President Biden’s first day in office when he issued Executive Order 13985, ”Promoting Racial Equity and Support for Disadvantaged Communities Across the Federal Government,“” one can read in theexecutive order dated Jan. 20, 2025 posted on the official White House website. In previous years, the NGA had invested $820,000 to revitalize the museum around the values of diversity and inclusion, updating the logo, signage, even publishing a new mission statement in 2021.

The document emphasized an inclusive approach aimed at diversifying the stories told, storytelling methods, and staffing. Despite this, the recent change of course has led to the removal of the words “diversity, equity, access, and inclusion” (diversity, equity, access) from the museum’s online mission statement, replacing them with more generic terms such as “welcoming and accessible,” definitions found in the "Mission, Vision, and Values" section of the museum’s official website. In addition to this, the position of chief diversity officer, which has been vacant for a year, has not yet been filled, and DEI office staff have been relocated to other roles within the museum.

Other museums and arts organizations are currently considering how to respond to the executive order. The Smithsonian Institution has not issued a statement on the impact the order might have on its diversity programs, and likewise, the American Visionary Art Museum and the National Children’s Museum have not commented on the situation at the time of publication. Established by Congress in 1937, to date the NGA receives about 80 percent of its budget from the federal government, making it closely tied to the policies of the current administration.

By 2020, after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the protests that followed, the National Gallery had made major strides: it had diversified its management team, hired the first curator for African American art, Kanitra Fletcher, included members of color on its board, and organized exhibitions of women artists and artists from diverse backgrounds, such as Afro-Atlantic Histories presented at the National Gallery from April 10 to July 17, 2022. In this respect, progress had made the National Gallery a model in the museum world that aims to welcome visitors from all socioeconomic backgrounds. As Kaywin Feldman, museum director, declared, “Our core collection reflects the demographics of the United States in 1941, when the country was almost 90 percent white. But we have a lot of work to do to expand representation.”

In fact, the changes have not been enough to prevent the recent setback. In fact, the Office of Inclusion and Membership had already been weakened when the head of that same department resigned before the election. Two members of the team were then reassigned to other internal roles. Last Thursday morning, at a meeting of the Association of Art Museum Directors, the new White House regulations came up for discussion. Darren Walker, chairman of the National Gallery board and outgoing leader of the Ford Foundation, urged museums to comply with the law but also to hold firm to their values. “My advice has been to comply with the law, but to be clear about your principles and values. Diversity contributes to excellence, and museums should focus on the latter,” said Walker, who has led multimillion-dollar donations to museum diversity initiatives.

Pictured is the facade of the National Gallery in Washington, DC. Photo: Gaspar Alves

Washington, National Gallery halts diversity programs after Trump's executive order

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