During the 1949 San Francisco Seals Goodwill Tour to Japan amidst the Allied occupation, Lefty O’Doul greeted Crown Prince Akihito, who would later become the emperor and has since abdicated, with a handshake. The moment was captured, and its ownership is attributed to David M. Dempsey, though the Japanese photographer remains unidentified.
The humanities encompass elements fundamental to human identity, such as language, culture, and history. Grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) have supported diverse projects, including the preservation of history, festivals, media projects, and community research. Notable initiatives funded by the NEH include Ken Burns’ documentary “The Civil War,” the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, efforts to preserve the Tlingit language, and the establishment of the Mississippi Blues Trail.
Lauren Tilton, a digital humanities professor at the University of Richmond, stated that the humanities help in understanding past and present human experiences to shape the future. Her managed project received an NEH grant of nearly $492,000 as part of the Humanities Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence initiative. This funding aimed to establish the Center for Liberal Arts and AI, a collaboration of 15 colleges focused on studying and developing artificial intelligence. However, a letter from the NEH recently informed Tilton that the grant funding was terminated, aligning with a new direction in support of President Trump’s agenda.
Tilton expressed disappointment over the funding cut, arguing that the AI center would align with President Trump’s goals related to AI development. Despite this setback, Tilton stated that they are seeking private philanthropic funding to continue their efforts, although the grants’ termination has caused delays.
Critics of federal arts and cultural funding argue against taxpayers supporting institutions that serve mostly more affluent and educated demographics. Yet, endowments have allocated millions for underserved communities in the U.S., such as the NEH’s Cultural and Community Resilience grant program and the NEA’s Challenge America initiative. Both programs’ futures remain unclear, with Challenge America being canceled for FY 2026 and Cultural and Community Resilience not being reintroduced.
R. Chris Davis, a history professor at Lone Star College, was enthusiastic about the Humanities Initiatives at Community Colleges grant program, which supports faculty in creating engaging course content. The college recently received $150,000 from the NEH to develop personalized history courses. However, with the grant’s termination, Davis expressed concern for the students, who balance work and education commitments and could benefit from such adaptive learning opportunities.
Receiving an NEH grant is highly competitive, requiring detailed proposals and demonstrated track records. Filmmaker Yuriko Romer, who received a grant for “Diamond Diplomacy,” a documentary exploring U.S.-Japan relations through baseball, described the funding termination as immensely discouraging. Romer has been working on this project for a decade, employing numerous individuals and planning a screening at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The loss of remaining NEH support necessitates securing additional funding to complete the film.
The article’s editors were Meghan Collins Sullivan and Chloee Weiner for both radio and web formats.
