The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has long been a prestigious institution, heralded globally as a bastion for the celebration of the arts and those who create them. However, my deep concern arises from the disturbing shift in the Kennedy Center's mission. What was once an unbiased platform championing the universality of art now leans heavily towards a partisan political stance, contrary to what the organization was originally intended to represent.

This shift compromises the integrity of the arts as a unifying element of human culture. Art was never meant to divide; it was intended to bring people together, dissolve borders, and transcend individual differences. By intertwining its operations with partisan political agendas, the Kennedy Center now risks alienating vast portions of the population, diverging sharply from its mission to foster a universal appreciation of the arts.

The upcoming 2025 Kennedy Center Honors event, set to be broadcast and streamed by CBS, is emblematic of this concerning transformation. By participating in the dissemination of this event, CBS indirectly endorses the politicization of an institution that once stood above such divides.

By canceling the broadcast and streaming release of the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, CBS can take a stand for impartial artistry and the original mission of the Kennedy Center: to celebrate artistic contributions without political influence. This act would reaffirm CBS's commitment to objective and unbiased content, aligning with a public expectation for media platforms to foster unity rather than discord.

Thus, we urge CBS to reassess its involvement with this event and consider the consequences of its participation. Canceling this broadcast would send a strong message about the preservation of cultural institutions as spaces free of political bias.

Join us in compelling CBS to take responsibility for its programming and uphold the original mission of the Kennedy Center. We invite you to sign this petition to ensure that art continues to serve its purpose as a bridge across differences, not a tool for division.