The Smithsonian Institution reportedly told staff members today, January 28, that it is closing its office for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to comply with an executive order (EO) issued by President Donald Trump last week. The controversial order requires all federally funded agencies to end their DEI programs and initiatives.
In a staffwide email, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III said that the closure of the institution’s office is a “first step” to respond to the new federal mandate, as reported by the Washington Post.
A spokesperson for the Smithsonian told Hyperallergic that the institution is “fully committed to excellence in our workforce, free from discrimination and harassment.”
“We are closing our Office of Diversity but retaining our efforts at visitor accessibility as it serves a critical function,” the spokesperson said, adding that the Smithsonian is implementing a hiring freeze for federal positions, with “exceptions for certain staff categories or types of work,” and requiring staff to return to in-person work no later than April 21.
A webpage for the DEI commitments of the Smithsonian Affiliations program, which gives more than 200 organizations that collaborate with the institution the ability to loan works and access educational resources, was no longer accessible as of Wednesday afternoon, January 29. As of Thursday morning, January 30, the title for the shuttered office’s head diversity officer and director of access had been changed to director of the Office of Visitor Accessibility.
Established by Congress in 1846, the Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum and educational complex, comprising 21 institutions, the National Zoo, and nine research facilities. It is a hybrid institution that hires both federal and private employees and receives a majority of its budget from the federal government.
It is unclear whether Trump’s mandated will have any impact on Smithsonian institutions currently in development, including the National Museum of the American Latino, which is not yet built, and the existing Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, which may be incorporated into the Smithsonian network.
The Smithsonian’s reported closure of its diversity office quickly follows that of the National Gallery of Art, which issued a similar announcement at the end of last week. A spokesperson told Hyperallergic that employees at the NGA’s DEI office had been “reassigned to already vacant positions elsewhere in the museum.” In addition, the museum removed any language replaced language referring to DEAI with the words “welcoming and accessible.”
Editor’s note 1/29/25 12:30pm EST: This article was updated with a quote from a Smithsonian Institution spokesperson.
