More than 400 artists demand the maintenance of policies in favor of diversity in the cultural environment

« Abandoning our values ​​is a mistake and that will not protect us. »» Playwrights, poets, dancers … 463 artists wrote a letter to the National Endowment for the Arts – The Federal Cultural Agency responsible for helping artists and cultural institutions of the country – to combat the restrictions imposed by Donald Trump, reports THE New York Times . When he returned to power, the tenant of the White House signed a series of decrees aimed at putting an end to the “Dei”, that is to say measures in favor of diversity, equity and ‘Inclusion in federal administrations and agencies.

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Regulation to which the National Endowment for the Arts had to comply with, the government agency having recently declared that institutions demanding subsidies, such as schools, non -profit associations or even artists, must now respect the decrees imposed by the government. But for these 463 artists, the NEA should not give up “Its values”. « While the artistic world remains united with the NEA, we oppose this betrayal of the mission of the Foundation which is to promote and maintain an environment in which the arts benefit all citizens of the United States. We ask you not to follow these changes dictated by Trump “Explain the signatories of the letter launched by the New York director Annie Dorsen.

« The laws must be applied »

« We recognize that our colleagues in the NEA are in a difficult situation. We may hope that by making these compromises, the foundation will be able to continue its work. But abandoning our values ​​is a mistake and will not protect us. Obedience only feeds authoritarianism Add the signatories. “” Trump and his accomplices can use a double language to claim that support for colored artists is equivalent to “discrimination” and that the financing of the work of transgender artists and women promote a “gender ideology” (whatever it is). But we know better than that: the arts are for everyone and represent everyone ”, they continued. Contacted by the New York Times, A NEA spokesperson explained that they had not yet received this letter but recalled that the ” laws must be applied », Especially when you are a federal agency.

This is not the first time that Donald Trump has been aiming for the NEA, recalls The Guardian. In 2017, the president had already tried to abolish this independent agency, created by Lyndon Johnson in 1965, to promote the arts across the country. The budget had increased from $ 150 million in 2020 to 210 million in 2025.