In 2024, a speech by podcaster and writer Kate Bowler echoed enthusiastically in the halls of a Humanities North Dakota event. After facing a severe financial challenge recently, the organization now finds its monetary future showing signs of stability. This comes following a federal judge’s suggestion that the executive branch’s decision to withdraw two years’ worth of humanities grants across the nation had been a misstep.
The National Endowment for the Humanities, first established by Congress in 1965, was designed with the aim to back and elevate civic works, arts, and cultural education on a national scale. Fifty-six humanities councils rely on this governmental entity for funding, one of which is Humanities North Dakota.
A major setback for these councils had been the cancellation of millions of dollars that had been allocated for grants in the fiscal years of 2024 and 2025. April saw this reversal by the federal government, as revealed in court documents. This move by the National Endowment for the Humanities denoted a ‘change in direction’ that showed alignment with the President’s plans.
In response to the budget cuts, Humanities North Dakota revealed that they faced reductions amounting to $600,000 that had been granted for the fiscal year 2024. Despite the significant loss, the organization managed to keep operations running with $300,000 in private donations. However, the burn of the financial cutback meant a reduction in the programs offered.
Adding a new twist to this narrative, the U.S. District Judge from Oregon, Michael Simon, delivered an order on a Wednesday declaring the executive’s decision as potentially unlawful. According to him, it was highly likely to be reversed at a later point in time. While this decision did not reinstate any grants, it did restrict the federal government from reallocating the fund to other destinations as per the information shared by the Federation of State Humanities Councils.
With this court order in place, Humanities North Dakota, under the leadership of executive director Brenna Gerhardt, aimed to resume the initiatives that had been halted. They planned to rebuild connections with their community partners while making financial decisions that are respectful of the uncertainty faced in the past few months and their long-term commitments.
The cancellation of these grants is only one part of numerous planned program purges conducted by executive agencies on the behast of the Department of Government Efficiency. This purge was accompanied by the National Endowment for the Humanities laying off nearly 65% of its staff this spring, as reflected in Simon’s order.
The Federation of State Humanities Councils, along with Oregon Humanities, took legal action against the Department of Government Efficiency and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The plaintiffs claimed that the federal government terminated the funding without any proper analysis and without considering the legislated role of councils, which aims to expand humanities programs across the country.
It has been stated by The National Endowment for the Humanities that the grants were divested due to their association with topics, including diversity, equity, inclusion, supporting disabilities, and environmental justice. These themes were reportedly targeted for elimination in an executive order issued by President Donald Trump earlier this year.
Judge Simon expressed that this abrupt move contradicted Congress’s intent for the National Endowment for the Humanities to utilize the grants. As per federal law, the agency should support programs reflecting the vast spectrum and richness of American cultural heritage giving particular focus to underrepresented scholars, education and cultural institutions.
The grant cutbacks have caused considerable disruptions in funding for numerous initiatives. To name a few, it has affected an Indigenous language preservation program in Alaska, a healthcare division for pediatric end-of-life care in Ohio, and rural libraries in Oregon. This disruption was duly noted in Simon’s order.
The halt in humanities funding has been described as a ‘screeching halt,’ affecting communities ranging from the most populated cities to the most remote rural areas. The drastic, widespread impact of the funding freeze was underlined in Simon’s remarks.
President of the Federation of State Humanities Councils, Phoebe Stein, welcomed Simon’s decision, however, she also pointed out that humanities councils were still underfunded. Regrettably, as a consequence, there have been staff layoffs and cancellations of crucial programs.
In response to the lawsuit, the National Endowment for the Humanities met the allegations by referring to the federal regulations. In court documents, they argued that these regulations do allow for grant termination at the agency’s discretion if it deems that a grant does not align with its priorities.
The post Turning Point for Humanities North Dakota Amid Financial Turmoil appeared first on Real News Now.
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