Humanities North Dakota, a body dedicated to promoting culture, arts, and civil education, was seen attending a talk by Kate Bowler, renowned podcaster and author, in Fargo, 2024. The organization has recently been bolstered by better financial prospects, thanks to a federal court’s ruling that legalese around humanities grants cancellation was misguided. The National Endowment for the Humanities, an entity that was established by Congress in 1965 to boost civil education and cultural practices across the US, is relied upon by a total of 56 humanities councils, including Humanities North Dakota, as their principal source of funding.
In what was a significant setback for these humanities councils, the federal government in early April reversed its decision concerning the allocation of hundreds of millions of dollars, previously granted for their use during the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years, as court records reveal. The statement from the National Endowment for the Humanities was that they were redirecting their funding mechanism ‘in line with the President’s agenda’. This abrupt shift in the financial landscape drastically impacted Humanities North Dakota, which was set to lose $600,000 of grant money in the fiscal year of 2024.
Despite the harsh cutbacks, the organization managed to stay afloat, courtesy $300,000 in private donations. However, the funding cuts necessitated a scaling back of its offerings in view of the sudden loss of grant money. Amidst this financial uncertainty, the U.S. District Judge from Oregon, Judge Michael Simon, issued a significant order. His judgement stated that the move by the executive body to cut humanities council funding was not within the legal purview and that the decision is likely to be overturned in the future.
However, it’s worth noting that Simon’s order didn’t restore any of the grant money originally allocated. Still, it temporarily prohibited the federal government from allocating those funds for other purposes. This decision, when delivered, was applauded by the Federation of State Humanities Councils. It gave them a glimmer of hope in the midst of the financial chaos that ensued.
Following the announcement of Judge Simon’s decision, Brenna Gerhardt, the executive director of Humanities North Dakota, commented on the future path of the organization. She highlighted that the organization would kick-start paused initiatives, renew collaboration with community partners, and make wise financial decisions, taking into account the turbulences of past few months and their long term plans.
The cancellation of these grants was just one of numerous program cutbacks carried out at the behest of the Department of Government Efficiency by executive agencies. Accompanying these fund withdrawals was a spring workforce reduction in the National Endowment for the Humanities, laying off approximately 65% of their staff, as pointed out in Simon’s court order.
This recent development was a consequence of a legal challenge against the Department of Government Efficiency and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The lawsuit was brought forward by one of its member bodies, Oregon Humanities, along with the Federation of State Humanities Councils.
The plaintiffs accuse the federal government of eliminating funding ‘without a logical assessment and complete disregard for the legislated role of councils: to ensure that humanities programs meet the needs of every part of the US.’ The National Endowment for the Humanities defended their actions by asserting that the grants were recalled as they were deemed to endorse areas such as diversity, equity, inclusion, disability accommodation and environmental justice. These subjects had been marked for removal by an executive order initiated by President Donald Trump earlier this year.
Judge Simon expressed that this explanation contradicts the intention for which Congress wanted the National Endowment for the Humanities to use the grant funds. As mandated by federal law, the agency should support programs that ‘reflect the diversity and richness of American cultural heritage’ and ‘especially consider scholars and educational, cultural institutions that have been traditionally underrepresented’.
The abrupt halting of these funds has caused significant disruptions. It has affected various initiatives like an Alaskan Indigenous language preservation program, an end-of-life care department for a children’s hospital in Ohio, and public libraries in rural Oregon – to name but a few examples stated in Simon’s order.
Judge Simon titled his order, saying that ‘across the US, from major urban centers to the smallest rural communities, humanities funding has shockingly come to a sudden stop.’ This observation underscored the far-reaching effects the cancellation of these grants had on not just larger organizations but those in far-flung localities as well.
Phoebe Stein, president of the Federation of State Humanities Councils, commended Simon’s ruling but also emphasized the reality that humanities councils will remain underfunded in the interim. The severe reduction in funding, Stein pointed out, has already caused several organizations to lay off staff and cancel important programs.
In legal paperwork, the National Endowment for the Humanities has insisted that the federal rules grant them the right to retract grants whenever they believe the grants do not support the priorities of the agency. This has led to intrigue around the future of this case and the wider fate of humanities councils nationally.
The post Court Decision Breathes Hope into Humanities North Dakota Amidst Funding Cuts appeared first on Real News Now.
About Author
