Blowing the alarm on racism cut short my professional journey - Burrell
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- By Scott Best
- 12 Sep 2026
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The governing board of the renowned performing arts venue has voted to change its name the Trump-Kennedy Center, as confirmed by the White House.
White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated on social media that the board's approval was consensus, citing "the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building."
"This will be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt reach new levels of prestige and accomplishment," Leavitt added.
The planned renaming is likely to prove deeply divisive, notably in Washington, D.C., where the center has been an architectural and cultural icon since its completion and christening for President John F. Kennedy.
Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump dismissed all the center's existing board members and appointed allies in their place. The reconstituted board then voted to name Trump the chairman.
The president later secured approximately $257 million in federal funds to finance extensive repairs and other financial needs at the historic venue.
The concept for a federal performing arts center began in the 1950s. Following the murder of President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, in 1963, the then-under-construction venue was named in his honor.
This is a developing story. Additional information will be published soon.
A geospatial analyst with over a decade of experience in terrain modeling and environmental data visualization.