Levar Burton believes there should be a separation between art and politics.
Star Trek: The Next Generation of Actors opened on Thursday about concerns about the future of the industry amid President Donald Trump’s Kennedy Center overhaul.
“I don’t think art should be part of a political conversation,” Burton told the Hollywood Reporter at the Creative Union’s first National Arts Advocacy Summit. “Art is above politics, at least it should be. Certainly, there is politics in everything, but art should be outside the realm of rhetoric, because this is about humanity.”
After Trump came to power, he chose to “quickly close multiple individuals from the board,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social last Friday. From there, Trump was voted to chair the Kennedy Center, and the organization’s longtime President Deborah Rutter was fired.
Burton added that attending the summit is important and “for a long time” because “art is at risk.” As a storyteller, he explained that the creative coalition “defines art and society and pays attention to how important art is to “humanity.”
“I was old enough to remember when I stopped teaching music at school, and that was immeasurable to me,” Burton said. “It’s normal now. I don’t want to convey the world where storytelling is an old-fashioned art form, because that’s not okay.”
To enact the change, the former Reading Rainbow host said, “As an artist, we are continuing to do what we do. That is what we can do to enhance our journey along our paths. It’s about doing it.”
Kennedy Center honors the performing arts and offers space for a variety of theatres, dance and musical performances. The center also oversees the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera, among other things. In the wake of Trump’s sudden change, Shonda Rhymes resigned from the Kennedy Center board, and Issaray cancelled any upcoming sold-out appearances at the Kennedy Center.
Additionally, Trump, Susie Wills, Dan Scavino, Allison Lutonic, Linda Romangino, Mindy Levine, Usha Vance, Pamela Gross, John Falconetti, Sheri Summer All, Sergio Gaulle, Emilia May – Vanjul, Patricia Dagagan, Dana Blumberg.
