Students of Color Perform with Veterans After Marine Band Concert Canceled by DEI Ban

President Trump's executive order banning diversity programs halted a planned collaboration, but retired military musicians stepped in to support young performers.

• A planned concert featuring the U.S. Marine Band and 30 student musicians of color was canceled due to President Trump's executive order banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across federal entities.
• The students, selected through auditions organized by the nonprofit Equity Arc, lost the opportunity to perform with 'The President's Own' Marine Band, a historic musical institution dating back to 1798.
• In response, retired military musicians from various service branches volunteered to mentor the students and perform with them in a concert organized by Equity Arc and CBS's '60 Minutes.'
• The concert, held near Washington, D.C., featured pieces originally planned for the Marine Band collaboration and was conducted by Rodney Dorsey of Florida State University.
• The cancellation highlights broader implications of the executive order, which has rolled back decades of anti-discrimination protections and sparked concerns about the future of diversity initiatives in the U.S.

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