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New Year’s Eve Concerts at Kennedy Center Are Canceled [🎁 nytimes.com Gift article] (www.nytimes.com)
submitted 1 month ago by ccunning@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world
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A veteran jazz ensemble and a New York dance company have canceled events at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, intensifying the fallout at one of the nation’s pre-eminent arts centers after it was renamed to include President Trump.

The center had previously promoted two New Year’s Eve performances by the Cookers as an “all-star jazz septet that will ignite the Terrace Theater stage with fire and soul.” But those performances, like an annual Christmas Eve jazz concert hosted by Chuck Redd, are now canceled.

The Cookers did not give a reason for the decision in a statement on Monday that said, “Jazz was born from struggle and from a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, of expression, and of the full human voice.”

But the band’s drummer, Billy Hart, told The New York Times that the center’s name change had “evidently” played a role. He acknowledged that the group was concerned about possible reprisals.

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[-] neon_nova@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 1 month ago

People say the name was changed illegally. I’m out of the loop on this, why is it illegal for their name to be changed?

[-] frongt@lemmy.zip 48 points 1 month ago

The Kennedy Center was created with that name by an act of Congress: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/20/76i

Much like the Department of Defense, it must be renamed by Congress.

[-] neon_nova@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 1 month ago

Thanks! I didn’t know this. Especially about the department of defense.

[-] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 2 points 1 month ago

I have to say, even if they'd changed it legally, it would not diminish my disgust one bit. To name something so public, that you had no part in creating, after yourself is the ultimate ... tastelessness, fuck you to the plebs, loser move, etc.

[-] grue@lemmy.world 17 points 1 month ago

Among other reasons, board members who would've dissented were forcibly muted in the videoconference meeting during the "unanimous" vote.

[-] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 1 points 1 month ago

Wait what? That is old Soviet Union crap. Can I get more details on this? Not in Congress I presume?

[-] FilthyHands@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 month ago

In his own words...

Sec. 2 Policy. (a) It is the policy of the United States to prosecute to the fullest extent permitted under Federal law, and as appropriate, any person or any entity that destroys, damages, vandalizes, or desecrates a monument, memorial, or statue within the United States or otherwise vandalizes government property. The desire of the Congress to protect Federal property is clearly reflected in section 1361 of title 18, United States Code, which authorizes a penalty of up to 10 years' imprisonment for the willful injury of Federal property. More recently, under the Veterans' Memorial Preservation and Recognition Act of 2003, section 1369 of title 18, United States Code, the Congress punished with the same penalties the destruction of Federal and in some cases State-maintained monuments that honor military veterans. Other criminal statutes, such as the Travel Act, section 1952 of title 18, United States Code, permit prosecutions of arson damaging monuments, memorials, and statues on State grounds in some cases. Civil statutes like the Public System Resource Protection Act, section 100722 of title 54, United States Code, also hold those who destroy certain Federal property accountable for their offenses. The Federal Government will not tolerate violations of these and other laws.

this post was submitted on 30 Dec 2025
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