Why federal cuts to Virginia’s cultural lifeblood should alarm us all
When I read the recent news from Virginia Humanities, I felt like I’d been punched in the gut.
A $1.7 million cut in federal funding—gone. Staff layoffs. Program closures. An uncertain future for an organization that has been a cornerstone of public culture and civic life in the Commonwealth.
If you don’t know Virginia Humanities, you should. They’ve spent 50 years nurturing Virginia’s cultural landscape: documenting Indigenous history, supporting HBCU fellowships, celebrating literature and the arts, elevating overlooked voices, and building community through storytelling of the highest caliber.
That work is now at risk because of sweeping federal cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities. Not delayed. Not debated. Gone.
As someone who grew up in Virginia, studied the liberal arts, and built a career amplifying underrepresented stories, I feel this loss personally. My childhood was shaped by public libraries, small-town museums, historic centers. I attended festivals, read local histories, and benefited from the kind of curiosity-driven programs Virginia Humanities made possible. I know the ripple effects of these cuts won’t just be felt in Charlottesville; they’ll echo in rural schools, public libraries, and underfunded communities across the state.
This isn’t just about one organization. It’s about whether we believe culture matters. Whether we value the human stories that shape our democracy. Whether we understand that investing in the humanities is investing in the future.
The team at Virginia Humanities is making impossible decisions with grace and resolve. They’re reorganizing, rethinking, and holding onto what matters most. But they shouldn’t have to do it alone.
We need to speak up—for public humanities, for storytelling, and for one another.
Democracy demands wisdom. That was the guiding idea behind the founding of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in 1965. It still is.
And wisdom, in case anyone needs reminding, doesn’t flourish on its own. It’s cultivated. Let’s keep cultivating it.
Read Virginia Humanities’ full statement here:
Announcing Changes to Our Organization: A Letter from Executive Director, Matthew Gibson
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