An acclaimed jazz band has canceled its New Year's Eve performance at the Trump-Kennedy Center following the renaming of the institution.
Though the Cookers did not provide a reason, the band said the decision on Monday, Dec. 29 "has come together very quickly."
"Jazz was born from struggle and from a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, of expression, and of the full human voice," the band wrote on its website. "Some of us have been making this music for many decades, and that history still shapes us. We are not turning away from our audience, and do want to make sure that when we do return to the bandstand, the room is able to celebrate the full presence of the music and everyone in it."
The band continued to say that their hope "is that this moment will leave space for reflection, not resentment."
"To everyone who is disappointed or upset, we understand and share your sadness," they said. "We remain committed to playing music that reaches across divisions rather than deepening them."
