The Smithsonian Institution made the decision to close its office for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in response to an executive order issued by President Donald Trump. This order mandates that all federally funded agencies end their DEI programs and initiatives. Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III stated in a staffwide email that the closure of the DEI office is the first step in complying with the new federal mandate.
Despite the closure of the DEI office, Smithsonian webpages related to DEI were still accessible. This included pages for the Head Diversity Officer and Director of Access, Beth Ziebarth, as well as the DEI commitments of the Smithsonian Affiliations program. The institution has also implemented a hiring freeze for all federal positions and is requiring staff to return to in-person work.
Established in 1846 by Congress, the Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum and educational complex. It is a hybrid institution that employs both federal and private employees, with a majority of its budget coming from the federal government. The impact of Trump’s mandate on ongoing Smithsonian projects, such as the National Museum of the American Latino and the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, remains unclear.
The Smithsonian’s closure of its DEI office follows a similar move by the National Gallery of Art. Employees from the NGA’s DEI office were reassigned to vacant positions within the museum, and language related to DEAI was replaced with “welcoming and accessible.”
