MoMA Helping "Sanitize" Leon Black's Reputation, Protesters Say
Activist groups gathered for an action outside the museum today, where Black is still a board member despite intensifying scrutiny into his connections to Jeffrey Epstein.
Over two dozen people assembled down the street from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) today, October 6, calling for the removal of disgraced billionaire Leon Black from the museum board over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Black has also faced multiple rape allegations, which he denies, none of which have resulted in a conviction.
Among those in attendance were members of the feminist campaign We Are UltraViolet and its Epstein Accountability Project, the research initiative Time & Memory Project, and the mobile Epstein-Trump Reading Room, created by the Institute for Primary Facts. The free installation makes stops across the United States, displaying a timeline of President Trump's relationship with the sex offender and thousands of books containing the released so-called "Epstein Files," in which Black was mentioned over 8,500 times.
“By serving on MoMA’s board, whether it’s intentional or not, MoMA is helping to sanitize Leon Black’s reputation,” Nicole Regalado, vice president of campaigns at We Are UltraViolet, told Hyperallergic at today's action.
“Those folks determine what artists we celebrate and whose stories are told when millions of people and children visit MoMA each year,” she added, referring to the influence that comes with being a museum trustee. “And we do not want an accused sexual predator who has been enabling Jeffrey Epstein’s crime ring to have that kind of power over shaping our culture.”
