The cancellation of prestigious National Endowment for the Humanities grants highlights a dangerous trend of disinvestment in humanities education. This disinvestment has been compounded by federal budget cuts, increased pressure on elite institutions, and targeted actions against politically engaged scholars. The article argues that competing narratives justify these actions; one paints the humanities as both powerful and threatening, while the other dismisses it as irrelevant. This tension reflects a deeper fear of critical thought and the social change it fosters, ultimately threatening the future of humanities education in higher learning institutions across the country.
The targeting builds on decades of disinvestment-underfunding, fewer faculty lines and program closures-that have left humanities education fragile, and therefore vulnerable.
Both arguments contradict each other; one sees humanities as powerful yet dangerous, while the other views it as irrelevant, exposing a fear of critical thought.
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