The entry to the Smithsonian Institution’s Smithsonian Castle in Washington, D.C.
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
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Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
The Smithsonian Institution is closing its diversity office and freezing all federal hiring. The decision will affect dozens of American museums, research centers and libraries, as well as the National Zoo.
“Our Institution is fully committed to excellence in our workforce, free from discrimination and harassment,” wrote a Smithsonian Institution spokesperson in an email to NPR. “We are closing our Office of Diversity but retaining our efforts at visitor accessibility as it serves a critical function.”
The move to eliminate the Office of Diversity comes in the wake of an executive order from President Trump that describes diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, or DEI, as “illegal and immoral.” The Smithsonian is not a federal agency. But much of its billion dollar budget comes from federal appropriations. Two-thirds of its nearly 6,500 employees are federal workers. They will be expected to return to the office in April, according to the Smithsonian spokesperson.
Nearly 17 million people visited Smithsonian museums in Washington D.C., Virginia and New York last year. The most popular include the National Museum of Natural History and National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall in Washington.
Entrance to the museums…