Critically acclaimed poet and director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture Kevin Young has reportedly gone on personal leave.
The Washington Post first broke the news, obtaining the information through an internal email that was circulated. Young began his leave for an indefinite period on March 14. Since then, associate director Shanita Brackett has been filling in the position of acting director.
Per the Post, no reason was given for Young’s departure, and it is still unknown if his leave was connected to the Trump administration’s latest executive order. On March 27, President Trump announced his latest executive order that targeted programs he labeled as “divisive” and perpetrating “improper ideology.”
In the order, the National Museum of African American History and Culture was cited by name through claims that the Smithsonian pushed a “widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history.”
Civil rights advocates, historians and political leaders promptly reacted, arguing that, through targeting the Smithsonian, the administration is attempting to dilute the history of race, racism and Black Americans in the U.S.
Celebrating the success of the #LivingHistory campaign — Together. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/mcgcYauupG
— Kevin Young (@NMAAHCdirector) February 28, 2025
“It seems like we’re headed in the direction where there’s even an attempt to deny that the institution of slavery even existed, or that Jim Crow laws and segregation and racial violence against Black communities, Black families, Black individuals even occurred,” said Clarissa Myrick-Harris, a professor from the HBCU Morehouse College, per AP News.
First established in 2003, the National Museum of African American History and Culture opened up in its permanent location in 2016, housing over 40,000 objects in their possession and putting 3,500 objects on display. In 2022, the museum was reportedly the eighth-most visited museum in the U.S., drawing in nearly 1.1 million visitors.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture has a variety of exhibitions on display, including the “A Changing America” exhibit which covers Black history from the Civil Rights Movement to #BlackLivesMatter. Through the “Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom” exhibit, the museum also discusses the nation’s history of enslavement starting with the histories of 15th century Africa and Europe and extending to Reconstruction.
Other cultural exhibits include “Reckoning,” “Taking the Stage,” “Musical Crossroads” and “Sports.”
