This July 4th weekend, Poetry in America Director and Host Elisa New published an op-ed in the New York Times reflecting on the dismantling of the National Endowment for the Humanities. 

The op-ed looks back to the National Foundation of the Arts and Humanities Act, with which Congress established the NEH sixty years ago, in 1965. That act asserts that “[d]emocracy demands wisdom and vision in its citizens,” and it positions humanities education as a way to  preserve “the Nation’s high qualities as a leader in the realm of ideas and of the spirit.” 

The NEH has provided major support to the Poetry in America PBS series for the past three seasons and had invited our team to apply for funding to dramatically expand our reach with a large-scale program of humanities conversations in community spaces nationwide.

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT

Cuts to the NEH hit close to home for us:  This spring, DOGE cancelled the vast majority of Poetry in America‘s Season Five NEH grant—$480,000. It further decided not to fund the program of community events based on Poetry in America—a grant worth $400,000.

NEH’s investment in Poetry in America‘s future growth is gone, but our work continues. We are redoubling our efforts to continue production of our public television series, and to expand the work of making humanities education available to the widest and most diverse audiences, whether in living rooms or classrooms or in our public spaces. 

Please support our public-facing humanities work grounded in access and imagination—we need your help. You can donate online or give via donor-advised fund or wire transfer; please see this page for more information on ways to give.