I wrote an article for Rolling Stone

My thoughts as a former board member of the Kennedy Center on President Trump's latest institutional take over

This past week I wrote an article for Rolling Stone about why I am deeply disturbed by President Trump’s latest institutional take over: appointing himself Chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts - America's preeminent performing arts center and cultural institution.

I have served on one of the Kennedy Center Boards for the last 3 years, and while I am worried about the future of that historic and transformative institution, I’m also concerned about what this move signals for culture more broadly. We’ve seen a profound shift right-ward in popular culture, in effect making hard right conservative values the American cultural norm. The implications of that for electoral outcomes and policy are massive.

The Full Article is available here: Trump's Cultural Power Grab: Why His Kennedy Center Takeover Matters

I wasn’t surprised by the dismissal of Biden appointed board members, I actually joked about it on the Twigg & Jenkins podcast with Brad. I am however very surprised and very alarmed that President Trump is paying such acute attention to cultural institutions and the credentialing impact they have on American society.

An excerpt from my article:

“If President Trump succeeds in capturing and reshaping the American imagination alongside our institutions, we'll find ourselves without the tools needed to protect or, in a likely reality, restore democratic norms. The path forward requires meeting people where they are, not just with policy papers, but with compelling cultural narratives that champion pluralistic values. This means training candidates to be more engaging, internet savvy communicators and investing in entertainment that promotes democratic principles.

The battle for America's future will be won or lost not just at the ballot box, but on TV and phone screens, stages, concert venues, and cultural institutions across the nation.”

I hope you will read the full article and let me know what you think!

Carri