An event held by Humanities North Dakota, featuring Kate Bowler, a renowned podcaster and author, was a highlight in Fargo in 2024. Recently, the organization has found a cause for optimism as a federal court hinted at a possible error by the executive branch in discontinuing nationwide humanities grants for two consecutive years.
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), a creation of Congress in 1965, plays a significant role in promoting the various aspects of human knowledge, including arts, culture and civic education, across the United States. Among the beneficiaries of such grants from the NEH are 56 humanities-focused councils across the country, one of them being Humanities North Dakota.
However, a major setback came in April 2024 when the federal government unexpectedly rescinded hundreds of millions worth of grant funding committed to these councils for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. This decision was substantiated on the basis of reprioritizing the direction of funding to align more with the Presidential agenda, as per the NEH.
Following this decision, Humanities North Dakota announced that it could lose up to $600,000 in grant money for the fiscal year 2024. Despite the looming financial crunch, the organization managed to raise $300,000 in private donations. Nonetheless, they had to face the harsh reality of cutting back on their diverse programming activities due to the withdrawal of the grant.
In a recent turn of events, U.S. District Judge Michael Simon, based in Oregon, declared in a preliminary order that the executive branch’s initiative to withdraw funding from humanities councils might be declared unlawful in future proceedings. Despite not reinstating the cancelled grant, the order does put a temporary restriction on the federal government from re-allocating the funds elsewhere, a point highlighted by the Federation of State Humanities Councils.
With a hint of optimism, Brenna Gerhardt, the Executive Director of Humanities North Dakota, pointed out, ‘Armed with the court’s decision, we will begin revisiting some of our shelved initiatives and reestablish ties with community partners. We’ll continue making financially sound decisions that take into account the uncertainty we’ve been facing and our long-term commitments.’
The cancellation of these grants was part of a broader campaign led by the executive branch agencies upon the request of the Department of Government Efficiency. Alongside this, another significant hit was to the NEH, which had to let go off approximately 65% of its workforce during the same period, as mentioned in Judge Simon’s provisional ruling.
This decision by Judge Simon emerged from a lawsuit lodged against the Department of Government Efficiency and the NEH by the Federation of State Humanities Councils along with Oregon Humanities, one of its council members. The plaintiffs charged the federal government with cancelling the grants without any justified rationale and thus, neglecting their duty to ensure the dispersion of humanities programs throughout the United States.
The NEH’s official position contended that the grants were discarded because they were viewed as promoting subjects including diversity, equity, inclusion, accommodations for the disabled and environmental justice. These topics were in direct contrast with President Donald Trump’s vision and led to their elimination through an executive order issued earlier the same year.
In response, Judge Simon stated that this reasoning directly conflicts with Congress’s intentions for the utilization of the grant money. According to federal law, the NEH should allocate funds to programs that ’embody the diversity and wealth of our American cultural heritage’, and should pay special attention to scholars, educational entities, and cultural institutions that have traditionally been marginalized.
These funding cuts have had far-reaching repercussions for various sectors and initiatives. For instance, an indigenous language preservation program in Alaska, a terminal care department for a children’s hospital in Ohio, and even rural libraries in Oregon have been heavily impacted by this, as noted by Judge Simon in his order.
Judge Simon poignantly captured the situation in his ruling, stating, ‘With funding for the humanities coming to a sudden standstill, its effects have been felt from the largest urban areas down to the most remote communities of our nation.’
Despite applauding Judge Simon’s decision, Phoebe Stein, president of the Federation of State Humanities Councils, acknowledged that the humanities councils remained financially strapped for now. She remarked, ‘This precarious situation has already resulted in staff layoffs and program terminations.’
On the other end of the argument, the NEH contended in official court documents that federal regulations authorize them to terminate grants at their discretion, should they decide that these no longer correlate with agency priorities.
The post Federal Court Surprises Humanities North Dakota: Hints at Reinstating Funding appeared first on Real News Now.
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