No matter what DOGE believes, the humanities aren’t waste. They are us.
Federal funding is the largest source of support for the state’s cultural sector. Take that away, and you don’t just harm nonprofits, you harm communities and local economies.
On April 2, PA Humanities received a notice that our general operating grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, representing over 60% of our budget, had been terminated, effective immediately.
This decision came without warning, signed by NEH’s acting chair, and delivered under the directive of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
We were among up to 87 NEH grants canceled in Pennsylvania, with the Trump administration announcing plans to redirect these local funds to build a “Garden of American Heroes” — a park of bronze statues somewhere in the United States.
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The move is part of a broader federal effort to dismantle the NEH, halt its programs, and withdraw funding from all 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils across the country.
They called this eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.
But let me tell you what they’re really eliminating.
They are eliminating work like Rain Poetry in Philadelphia, where children learned to write haiku with the city’s poets laureate and teaching artists, had their verses installed on sidewalks using a rain-activated solution, and celebrated their creativity with their families and neighborhoods as their words appeared like magic when touched by water.
They are eliminating work like PA Heart and Soul, where residents in small towns across the state come together to learn what matters most to them, their hopes for the future of their communities, and how to achieve their goals together. Through this initiative, I’ve watched people who never saw themselves as leaders step up to make change in their communities as mayors, on school boards, and as council members and commissioners.
They are eliminating work like Teen Reading Lounge, where young people don’t just read books, they are inspired to action by those stories. In West Philadelphia, young people in this program were so moved by a book that they teamed up with a local filmmaker to create public service announcements about the dangers of bullying.
They are eliminating the idea that democracy depends on dialogue, connection, mutual decision making, and above all, recognizing our shared humanity.
This is not theoretical. With more than 60% of our budget in jeopardy, we have already begun scaling back planned expansions of our most celebrated programs. Our many partners across the state — including small museums, libraries, schools, and community groups here in Philadelphia — are bracing for the ripple effects.
And they are not alone.
Federal funding is the single largest source of support for Pennsylvania’s cultural sector. That funding fuels a $30.4 billion annual impact and supports nearly 190,000 jobs across the state. When you take that away, you don’t just harm arts and humanities nonprofits, you harm the communities and local economies they help sustain.
We have everyday heroes working to strengthen our communities right now and they need our support, not funding cuts.
The NEH was created in 1965 with bipartisan support, rooted in the belief that access to knowledge and culture strengthens democracy. Nearly 60 years later, with the fabric of our civil society being torn at the seams, that mission is even more vital.
At PA Humanities, we’ve spent over five decades putting that belief into practice and illuminating what’s possible. We’ve seen firsthand what happens when people come together through the humanities, arts, and culture. They ask questions. They listen. They lead. They build stronger, more resilient communities.
DOGE may call it efficiency, but the real effect is undermining our democracy.
We don’t need a Garden of Heroes to honor our nation’s greatness. We have everyday heroes working to strengthen our communities right now, and they need our support, not funding cuts.
So, to the people of Pennsylvania, I say this: Call your elected officials. Speak out. Stand up. Tell your story.
The humanities are not a luxury. They are not waste. They are how we know who we are. They are how we move forward together.
They are us.
Laurie Zierer is executive director of PA Humanities, Pennsylvania’s state humanities council and a nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities based in Philadelphia.