The Smithsonian will close its diversity office and freeze federal hiring

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 has been entirely free since the Institution’s founding in 1846, with the exception of the Cooper Hewitt, the Smithsonian’s design museum in New York. The question of charging for admission has come up repeatedly under various administrations, but rejected, in part, because of concerns about political backlash.

Numerous corporations have eliminated DEI initiatives since the executive order was released. Last week, the National Gallery of Art – which, like the Smithsonian, also receives funding from the federal government – also eliminated its office of belonging and inclusion, as well as mentions of DEI from its website.