The Smithsonian Institution informed employees on Tuesday that it would close its diversity office, freeze hiring for all federal positions, and require workers to return to in-person work in order to comply with recent orders from President Trump. The announcement came after President Trump signed an executive order this month describing the Biden administration’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives as “illegal and immoral discrimination programs.” The order has led museums that receive significant government support to abruptly shift their policies to comply with the new rules from the White House. Last week, the National Gallery, which recently mounted a rebranding campaign focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion, announced that it was closing its office of belonging and inclusion.
Now a similar effort is underway at the Smithsonian, one of the largest cultural institutions in the United States.
Smithsonian diversity office closure announced
The organization includes 21 museums across the country and receives nearly two-thirds of its $1 billion budget from the federal government.
A museum official said that while the museum was closing its Office of Diversity, it would retain its “efforts at visitor accessibility as it serves a critical function.” Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III said that the diversity office’s closure would be a “first step” to address the new federal policy, according to an email obtained by a major newspaper, which first reported the changes. The Smithsonian is a hybrid institution that includes both private and federal employees.
The organization currently includes about 40 jobs that executives were looking to fill at different museums around the country, including a conservator position at the National Air and Space Museum and a supervisory veterinary medical officer at the National Zoological Park.