The director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture left his post earlier this month. Kevin Young had led the groundbreaking Washington, D.C., institution since 2021. His resignation comes amid Trump’s campaign to completely overhaul the Smithsonian and its landmark museums and cultural institutions.
Last month, Trump issued an executive order accusing the Smithsonian of promoting a “divisive, race-centered ideology.”
Many people from Kansas may be surprised to know that Young was raised in Topeka. Although he was born in Lincoln, NE, in 1970, his parents – Paul E. Young, an ophthalmologist, and Dr. Azzie Young, a chemist – settled in Topeka when Kevin was 10 years old.
According to The Washington Post, Young went on leave before Trump’s order was issued. In a statement, the museum said that Young said he wanted to focus on his writing. He remains the poetry editor of The New Yorker, a post he’s held since 2017.