Nonprofit agency for 50+ years provides history education
(Independent Newsmedia/Steve Stockmar)
Arizona Humanities is located in the historic Ellis-Shackelford House at 1242 N. Central Ave., in downtown Phoenix. Since 1974, the nonprofit has supported public programs that promote understanding of the human experience along with cultural, educational, and nonprofit organizations across Arizona.
One look at the Arizona Humanities’ calendar shows few empty days of activity.
Author Brian Young grew up on the Navajo Reservation in Fort Defiance. He’ll drive hours to conduct workshops for Indigenous kids. Parents and grandparents will come, too, many of whom have never met an author much less a Diné author.
Young provides free books and conducts a writing workshop for the whole community strengthened by the storytelling his grandparents taught him.
On another day, Arizona students will interview veterans in support of the Veterans Heritage Project, which works with middle and high school students to conduct oral history interviews with those who served in the military. Students will document stories through video and essay publication for preservation in the Library of Congress. Some veterans tell stories community members will listen to and see for generations to come.
“I don't know how you put a dollar value on that,” said Brenda Thomson, who for 15 years has been Arizona Humanities’ executive director.
Both efforts were supported by Arizona Humanities grants. The statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities has since 1974 supported public programs through cultural and educational organizations that promote the people behind historical U.S. experiences.
Earlier this month President Trump canceled most of the National Endowment for the Humanities grant programs, which supports local Humanities agencies in all 50 states, and put staff on administrative leave.
Arizona Humanities in Fiscal Year 2024 received $1,158,360 in federal money.
“Your grant no longer effectuates the agency’s needs and priorities and conditions of the Grant Agreement and is subject to termination due to several reasonable causes,” the letter to Arizona Humanities stated. “NEH has reasonable cause to terminate your grant in light of the fact that the NEH is repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President’s agenda.”
The immediate cancellation of money in this current fiscal year budget will be challenged in court by Humanities agencies across the U.S. since those Congressionally appropriated funds are required by statute to be available. It was Congress, back in 1965, that gave bipartisan approval for a department to study “the state of the humanities in America.”
“We are politically neutral,” Thomson said. “We can lobby for the Humanities and the importance of humanity, but not a specific piece of legislation or candidate, so no (proposition), or no person, no Democrat, no Republican, no Independent.”
Educational opportunities took a blow earlier this spring when Trump in March ordered reduced operations for seven agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The order requires that “entities shall be eliminated to the maximum extent.”
On April 4, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes joined 19 other attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to stop the dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services and two other federal agencies.
“This lawsuit is for Arizona’s 3 million library card holders, who in 2023 alone visited the library 14 million times,” Mayes said.
Children and families who may not have access to libraries at all worked with Arizona Humanities’ programming.
“We bought over 10,000 books and have given them to elementary school teachers throughout Arizona so that kids can actually have books,” Thomsen said. “The programs that we put out here in Arizona take place all over the state, in major metro areas, and also pretty far from small towns and rural communities and Native American reservations as well.”
A 2024 study from Consumer Affairs showed Arizona ranks last in the nation in school funding.
It’s unclear what will happen to Arizona Humanities’ already awarded grants or the impact to future federal allocations.
“We provide basic educational, supportive services and community projects to schools, libraries, museums, senior centers, community centers, bookstores, businesses, statewide,” Thomsen said. “So I don't think it's the loss of a million dollars, I actually think it's the loss of much, much more.”
Meet Steve Steve Stockmar joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2017, and has been an Arizona journalist for almost 30 years. He serves as editor of Sun Life Magazine and contributes to West Valley communities where he focuses mostly on arts & culture, education, and profiles of neighbors making a difference.
Community: Every season Steve serves as a “buddy” with the Miracle League of Arizona in Scottsdale, has volunteered his time with Family Promise in Glendale, and previously served on the Ghostlight Theatre board in Sun City West.
Education: Graduated from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff with a Journalism major and English minor.
Random Fact: Steve once won a 50-player live Texas Hold ’Em poker tournament.
Hobbies: Anguishing over his beloved Chicago Cubs and Bears; listening to Beatles and Grateful Dead music.
By 
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here