Alexandria-Based Church Removes Event From Kennedy Center After Trump Takeover

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Alexandria-based Alfred Street Baptist Church, one of the oldest and largest African American Baptist congregations in the U.S., is ending its Kennedy Center partnership. The decision came after President Donald Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center.

Alfred Street Baptist Church was one of the organizations cutting ties with the Kennedy Center. The church said it would no longer host its annual Christmas performance at the Kennedy Center and would look for other venues. As reported by WTOP, Alfred Street Baptist Church had held the Christmas performance at the Kennedy Center for years, bringing in hundreds of performers.

"We believe that the new leadership's opposition to the Kennedy Center's long-standing tradition of honoring artistic expression across all backgrounds is misaligned with our unwavering commission to proclaim and practice the transformative and redemptive love of Jesus, to pursue justice, to promote equality, to embrace the gift of diversity, and to care for all of creation," the church said in a statement on its website.

According to Reuters, Trump replaced former Kennedy Center Board of Trustees members with new appointees, including Second Lady Usha Vance, and removed the venue's former president. The Kennedy Center now lists Trump as chair and Richard Grenell, who has served in Trump administration positions, as president. Trump had been appointed as chair by the new board.

Upon announcing Grenell as the interim leader of the Kennedy Center, Trump tweeted that the venue would have "no more drag shows, or other anti-American propaganda — only the best."

Over the Presidents Day holiday weekend, protesters showed up to oppose Trump taking the reigns of the Kennedy Center. There have also been numerous cancellations by scheduled Kennedy Center performers.