Why the Federal NEH Canceled Black History Grants
By Darius Spearman (africanelements)
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A Landmark Legal Fight for Historical Truth
On March 25, 2026, the Underground Railroad Education Center filed a significant lawsuit in New York. This organization is based in Albany and focuses on the history of people who escaped slavery. They claim the federal government illegally stopped a $250,000 grant. This money was for projects about Black history and equity. The lawsuit says the government is practicing racial and viewpoint discrimination (newsone.com, newyorkalmanack.com).
The National Endowment for the Humanities, or NEH, is the agency at the center of this storm. In early 2025, the government canceled about 1,400 grants. Many of these projects focused on marginalized people. The lawsuit argues that the administration is trying to erase stories that do not fit a specific political narrative. This legal battle explores how federal systems and political strategies shape what history citizens are allowed to learn (newsone.com, americanprogress.org).
NEH Funding: 1979 vs 2022 (Inflation Adjusted)
Humanities funding has dropped significantly over the decades.
The Mission of the Underground Railroad Education Center
Paul and Mary Liz Stewart co-founded the Underground Railroad Education Center. It operates out of the Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence in Albany. This house was a real stop for people seeking freedom in the 1850s. The center teaches that the Underground Railroad was a movement of civil disobedience led by Black people. It highlights historical family strength and the bravery of those who resisted oppression (undergroundrailroadhistory.org, newyorkalmanack.com).
The $250,000 grant was part of a larger $12 million plan. The center wants to build a new Interpretive Center in the Arbor Hill neighborhood. This building would house 10,000 historical items. It would also offer jobs and community support. The government suddenly took the money back after the project was already moving forward. The lawsuit claims this was done because the project deals with racial equity (undergroundrailroadhistory.org, themadent.com).
Understanding the 2025 Executive Order
The mass cancellation of grants started with an executive order in January 2025. President Donald Trump signed this order shortly after taking office. It required federal agencies to stop all programs related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This is often called DEI. The order gave agencies 60 days to purge these initiatives. This led to the loss of 1,400 grants at the NEH alone (washingtonpost.com, americanprogress.org).
The administration argued that these programs were political or “woke.” They wanted to replace them with what they called “patriotic programming.” The lawsuit says this is a violation of the First Amendment. The government cannot take away funding just because it dislikes the viewpoint of the research. Critics say this is an attempt to whitewash the history of the United States. It targets the history of exploitation and the struggle for civil rights (newsone.com, federal-lawyer.com).
The Legal Foundation of the Lawsuit
Attorney Nina Loewenstein represents the education center. The legal team argues that the government violated several laws. One is the Administrative Procedure Act. This law says government agencies must follow fair rules. They cannot make “arbitrary” or “capricious” decisions. Simply changing a political mind is not a valid legal reason to cancel a signed grant agreement (gao.gov, americanprogress.org).
Another important law is the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. This law was passed after President Nixon refused to spend money that Congress had approved. It says a president cannot withhold funds for personal reasons. If the president wants to stop spending, they must get permission from Congress. The lawsuit alleges that President Trump ignored this rule when he canceled the NEH grants (gao.gov, americanprogress.org).
The 2025 “Purge” Impact
Grants terminated in April 2025 following the DEI Executive Order.
A History of the National Endowment for the Humanities
The NEH was created in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. He believed that a healthy democracy needs citizens with wisdom and vision. The agency was meant to support research, education, and the preservation of history. For decades, it has funded thousands of projects that tell the American story (neh.gov, house.gov).
The NEH has awarded over $6.4 billion since its founding. It has supported more than 70,000 projects. In the early years, the agency helped build important institutions. This includes the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. These early grants helped uncover parts of history that were often left out of school books. This includes entrepreneurship and social movements within the Black community (neh.gov, nypl.org).
The Significance of the Schomburg Center
The Schomburg Center is part of the New York Public Library. It is one of the most famous places for studying Black history in the world. It holds over 11 million items related to the African Diaspora. Arturo Alfonso Schomburg started the collection nearly a hundred years ago. He wanted to document the global achievements of Black people (nypl.org, nypl.org).
The NEH has long supported the Schomburg Center. This funding is seen as a “gold standard” of approval. It shows that a project is important for the whole nation. When the government targets these types of grants, it threatens the preservation of vital records. These records include the writings of famous authors like Langston Hughes and James Baldwin. Losing this support makes it harder for scholars to tell the full story of America (nypl.org, nyclgbtsites.org).
Vulnerability of Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs, are also at risk. These schools were started before 1964 to educate Black students when they were banned from other colleges. HBCUs have always faced problems with getting enough money. They rely on federal grants much more than wealthy private universities do (house.gov, americanprogress.org).
About 75% of HBCU students use federal Pell Grants to pay for school. When the government freezes or cancels funding, these schools feel it immediately. Data shows that public HBCUs have been underfunded by billions of dollars over the last thirty years. The current grant cancellations target many programs that these schools use to research their own history and support their students (house.gov, americanprogress.org).
Grant Success Disparity
Black investigators are less likely to receive elite funding.
Based on 2023 NIH data regarding systemic barriers (americanprogress.org).
The Return of the Culture Wars
This legal battle is similar to events from the 1990s. During that time, some politicians attacked the NEH for funding art and history they found offensive. This led to a 36% budget cut in 1996. The agency also stopped giving grants to individual artists. Today, the conflict has shifted from “obscenity” to “ideology” (amacad.org, house.gov).
The government is now using “patriotic programming” as a reason to defund research into slavery and racism. The 2026 lawsuit argues that this is not about saving money. Instead, it is about controlling what the public knows. Some federal websites have already removed words like “enslaved” or mentions of Harriet Tubman. The lawsuit seeks to stop this trend and protect historical accuracy (historianspeaks.org, newsone.com).
Broad Legal Resistance Across the Country
The Underground Railroad Education Center is not fighting alone. In 2025, other groups filed a class-action lawsuit. These include the Authors Guild and the American Historical Association. They argue that the mass termination of grants is illegal. They believe the administration cannot rewrite the rules of federal funding without permission (newsone.com, americanprogress.org).
In July 2025, a judge made a preliminary ruling. Judge Colleen McMahon noted that the government likely violated the First Amendment. She said the administration appeared to be rescinding grants based on their viewpoint. This was especially true for grants aimed at DEI programs. While some grants have been reinstated, the situation remains unstable across the country (newsone.com, federal-lawyer.com).
The Role of the Northern District of New York
The lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of New York because the education center is located there. This court will decide if the federal government must follow through on its promises. A 40-page legal brief was submitted to show the systematic targeting of these grants. The ruling could set a precedent for many other organizations (undergroundrailroadhistory.org, newsone.com).
If the court rules in favor of the center, it could force the government to release the money. It would also send a message that political leaders cannot “edit history” by withholding funds. This court case is a landmark moment. It tests whether the laws that protect free speech and fair spending can still hold the government accountable (federal-lawyer.com, americanprogress.org).
Conclusion: Defining the American Story
The dispute over the $250,000 grant is about more than just money. It is a battle over who gets to define what it means to be American. The NEH was founded on the idea that knowing the past is essential for a stable democracy. By cutting funds for Black history, the government is making it harder for citizens to gain that wisdom (neh.gov, house.gov).
The lawsuit by the Underground Railroad Education Center reminds us that history is often a site of struggle. The organization continues to push for a complete and honest look at the past. As this case moves forward, it will highlight the importance of protecting diverse voices in the humanities. The outcome will likely influence how history is taught and funded for years to come (undergroundrailroadhistory.org, newyorkalmanack.com).
About the Author
Darius Spearman is a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College, where he has been teaching for over 20 years. He is the founder of African Elements, a media platform dedicated to providing educational resources on the history and culture of the African diaspora. Through his work, Spearman aims to empower and educate by bringing historical context to contemporary issues affecting the Black community.
