CAA News Today

CAA has signed on to the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), and The Phi Beta Kappa Society joint statement on cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). In conjunction with these societies, we encourage the current administration to reconsider dramatic reduction of staff and ask Congress to protect the NEH.

“Critical thought, cultural memory, and wisdom fostered by the humanities remain crucial to a vibrant democracy. The NEH has upheld these values since its founding.  For less than the cost of a postage stamp to every American, the NEH’s thoughtful grantmaking helps community and scholarly life thrive.”   

Read the full statement here.

OTHER LEARNED SOCIETIES AND INSTITUTIONS WHO HAVE SIGNED ON TO THE JOINT STATEMENT

American Academy of Religion
American Association for Italian Studies
American Folklore Society
American Historical Association
American Musicological Society
American Philosophical Association
American Political Science Association
American Society for Theatre Research
American Society of Overseas Research
American Sociological Association
American Studies Association
Association for Asian Studies
Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies
Association of Research Libraries
Association of University Presses
Linguistic Society of America
North American Conference on British Studies
Oral History Association
Organization of American Historians
Renaissance Society of America
Society of Biblical Literature

CAA has signed on to the National Humanities Alliance (NHA) statement on threats to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), released in response to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) targeting the NEH. DOGE aims to reduce staff, cut grant programs, and rescind grants that have already been awarded. CAA stands with NHA in supporting the NEH mission and appealing to members of Congress to intervene and ensure the NEH fulfills its Congressional mandate. Along with NHA and several other societies, CAA fervently believes the NEH “…has a positive impact on every congressional district,” and “…cutting NEH funding directly harms communities in every state and contributes to the destruction of our shared cultural heritage.” 

Read the full statement here. We strongly urge the CAA community to act by contacting Congress in support of the NEH. You can do so in a matter of moments via this easy form!

OTHER LEARNED SOCIETIES AND INSTITUTIONS WHO HAVE SIGNED ON TO THE NHA STATEMENT

American Academy of Religion 
American Antiquarian Society 
American Association for Italian Studies 
American Association for State and Local History 
American Historical Association 
American Musicological Society (AMS) 
American Oriental Society 
American Philosophical Association 
American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies 
American Sociological Association 
Association for Asian Studies 
Association of Research Libraries 
Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies 
Association of University Presses 
Coalition of State Museum Associations (COSMA) 
German Studies Association 
Linguistic Society of America 
Modern Language Association 
National Council on Public History 
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) 
North American Conference on British Studies 
Organization of American Historians 
The Phi Beta Kappa Society 
Renaissance Society of America 
Society of American Archivists 
Society of Biblical Literature 
University of Connecticut Humanities Institute (UCHI) 

CAA has signed on to the American Historical Association (AHA) statement defending the Smithsonian Institution after the release of a recent executive order and accompanying fact sheet claiming Smithsonian museums are displaying “…improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology.” This is a gross mischaracterization of the role and impact of the Smithsonian.   

“Patriotic history celebrates our nation’s many great achievements. It also helps us grapple with the less grand and more painful parts of our history. Both are part of a shared past that is fundamentally American. We learn from the past to inform how we can best shape our future. By providing a history with the integrity necessary to enable all Americans to be all they can possibly be, the Smithsonian is fulfilling its duty to all of us.”  

Read the full statement in defense of the institution here.

OTHER LEARNED SOCIETIES AND INSTITUTIONS WHO HAVE SIGNED ON TO THE AHA STATEMENT

American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education 
American Association of Geographers 
American Society for Environmental History 
Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies 
Association for the Study of African American Life and History 
Association of Research Libraries 
Civil Rights Movement Archive 
Conference on Asian History 
Education4All 
Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library 
Labor and Working Class History Association 
LGBTQ+ History Association 
Midwestern History Association 
National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education 
National Council on Public History 
Network of Concerned Historians 
North American Victorian Studies Association 
Oral History Association 
PEN America 
Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era 
Society for the History of Children and Youth 
Society for US Intellectual History 
Southern Association for Women Historians 
Woodhull Freedom Foundation