The Value of the Humanities
Dear friends,
I wanted to share two things I’ve written recently amidst the sea of difficult news hitting the humanities and higher education.
First, I had the opportunity to write for Slate about the widespread NEH grant cancellations. (This was just before the reduction in force was announced, so the situation has grown still worse in the days since.) I spoke to more than forty people who were affected by the sudden course reversal—from state humanities council directors to participants in NEH summer institutes. As I emphasize in the article, these cancellations are not only cruel, they’re also incredibly wasteful—countless hours of work is being flushed down the drain, and major projects are stopping midstream.
I’m grateful to Slate editor and humanities PhD-holder Rebecca Onion for inviting me to write it. Somewhat ironically, Rebecca and I first met a decade or so ago at a THATCamp, the early-days DH unconferences that were so formative for the field. THATCamp, too, was supported by the NEH.
I also published an op-ed in Inside Higher Ed on the convoluted arguments that the right uses to justify dismantling the humanities. The contradiction has been frustrating me for years, with some people arguing that the humanities are a waste of time, while others ascribe them tremendous (and threatening) power. We need to recognize that neither of these are good-faith arguments, and that at their heart, they are taking aim at the critical thought and potential for social change that humanistic inquiry can foster. As I say in the piece, “The right knows the humanities are powerful; it’s time for the left to truly believe in that power, and to call out the hypocrisy driving the right-wing attacks on our shared cultural heritage.”
Things are bad. And also, there is beauty. The trees here are blooming and spring is bringing a feeling of hopefulness, despite it all. As Mariame Kaba says, hope is a discipline, so I want to close on a hopeful note rather than one of anguish.
These pieces represent part of my own way of resisting what’s happening right now. I’m grateful that many other acts of resistance are happening daily—such as the ACH’s rapid-response initiatives like this NEH impact database action hours, and a knowledge-sharing session (tomorrow!) for those working to appeal their grant cancellations. The Mellon Foundation has stepped in with a landmark grant to the state humanities councils to help them keep their lights on. I invite you to join these efforts by raising your voice in whatever way you can—we need the humanities right now more than ever.
Thanks for reading.
Warmly,
Katina
