In late summer, the AHA continued our efforts to defend academic freedom and the teaching of honest history, as well as crucial institutional resources on which historians depend to do their work. AHA staff and Council members are actively engaged in multiple coalitions, to which we bring our expertise as historians and represent the discipline as we work collaboratively to support history, the work of historians, and history education.
Our lawsuit over the dismantling of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), joined by the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) and the Modern Language Association (MLA), is still ongoing as of the end of September.
Our staff, Council, and members have been speaking out about threats to the Smithsonian Institution’s independence. Executive director Sarah Weicksel has been especially busy being interviewed by news outlets around the country and the world defending the Smithsonian and the expertise of museum professionals and historians.
The AHA has also been contacting elected and appointed government officials to respond to actions that threaten the work of historians and history education. In August, we sent a letter to the governor of Iowa opposing the planned closure of the State Historical Society of Iowa Research Center. In Texas, the AHA continues to monitor the curriculum development process under a new course scope and sequence framework in the state social studies standards.
In September, we submitted a public comment to the Federal Register opposing proposed changes to visa regulations for international students and scholars; signed a letter to the Department of Education from the Coalition for International Education calling for continued funding of Title VI and Fulbright–Hays programs; and signed a letter to the US Senate in support of the Senate Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies that would provide sustained funding for key National Park Service cultural resource programs.
We also published a new series of advocacy resources to support our members, and the wider public, in advocating for history, the work of historians, and history education, which you can read more about below.
AHA Publishes New Advocacy Resources
In September, the AHA published a series of guides for advocating for history to government officials. These include guidance on crafting a statement to submit to legislators, contacting your congressional representatives, and submitting comments to the Federal Register on proposed federal regulations. We have also published a guide on advocating for international education, which includes data points and supporting materials. We hope you will use these resources to support honest history and advocate for the work of historians and history education. More guides will be added in the coming months.
An Update on the Lawsuit to Restore the NEH
On July 25, Judge Colleen McMahon granted a preliminary injunction to the Authors Guild, ensuring that funds for terminated NEH grants cannot be reallocated while the case is being tried. On August 6, the ACLS, AHA, and MLA released a statement commending Judge McMahon’s decision for the Authors Guild in its suit. Judge McMahon also rejected the government’s motion to dismiss our claim that the Department of Government Efficiency was responsible for the terminations and First Amendment claims, but rejected our request for a preliminary injunction. The AHA, ACLS, and MLA filed an appeal regarding the court’s ruling that we did not have standing to pursue our program-related claims, which challenged the dismantling of NEH funding programs and reduction of NEH staff. We are simultaneously continuing with termination-related claims, which assert that DOGE acted without appropriate authority in terminating awards. The ACLS, AHA, and MLA remain steadfast in their efforts to stop the unlawful dismantling of the NEH as we await the next steps in the legal process.
AHA Defends the Smithsonian
Following the White House’s August 12 announcement that the administration would undertake a review of exhibitions, materials, and practices at eight Smithsonian museums “to ensure alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions,” the AHA reiterated its support for an independent Smithsonian Institution that belongs to all the American people. In a statement revised from an earlier version responding to previous threats to the Smithsonian, the AHA urged the administration and the American public to respect and value the expertise of the historians, curators, and other museum professionals who conduct the review and revision of historical content according to the professional standards of our discipline.
AHA executive director Sarah Weicksel spoke with national and international media outlets covering the Trump administration’s announcement, including WBUR’s Here & Now, Global News, the New York Times, Newsweek, and the Wall Street Journal. “Only historians and trained museum professionals are qualified to conduct such a review, which is intended to ensure historical accuracy,” Weicksel said in an interview with the New York Times. “To suggest otherwise is an affront to the professional integrity of curators, historians, educators, and everyone involved in the creation of solid, evidence-based content.”
On August 21, the AHA signed on to the ACLS’s Statement Regarding the White House Review of Smithsonian Institution Museums. The review “supersedes the oversight of professional scholars and makes the museums tools of the presidential administration,” the ACLS stated. “The genuinely patriotic thing we can all do in this moment is to speak out on behalf of the scholars who have dedicated their lives to helping us understand our nation, and for the right of all Americans to learn about our history and culture free from government intrusion.”
AHA Sends Letter in Support of the State Historical Society of Iowa Research Center
On August 28, the AHA sent a letter to Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds opposing the planned closure of the State Historical Society of Iowa (SHSI) Research Center in Iowa City, which collects, preserves, and provides access to thousands of historical records, images, and objects created and used by Iowans throughout the state’s history. The SHSI is a crucial resource for anyone looking to participate in the documentation and practical use of Iowa’s past.
An Update on Texas State Standards for Social Studies
Since June, the Texas State Board of Education has been reviewing the scope and sequence of courses in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Social Studies. The AHA, the Texas Council for the Social Studies, and other organizations have been monitoring the review and offering recommendations. On September 19, the board adopted a framework that will radically overhaul the scope and sequence of elementary and middle school courses in the TEKS standards. The process will likely continue into summer 2026, and there will be real opportunities for historians, educators, and supporters of accurate history to make meaningful contributions to this process. The AHA will continue to keep members apprised of the situation.
AHA Sends Letter Objecting to Firing of Texas State University Professor
On September 23, the AHA sent a letter to Texas State University president Kelly Damphousse registering strong objection to the university’s decision to terminate the employment of Dr. Thomas Alter without due process. “Dr. Alter was terminated for comments made outside of the context of his university employment and extraneous to his role as a teacher and historian,” the AHA wrote. “Such unprofessional and capricious firing will hurt Texas State University’s reputation as a reliable employer and as an institution that provides high-quality education for Texas’s future leaders.”
AHA Submits Comment Opposing Visa Restrictions for Scholars
On September 26, the AHA submitted a public comment to the Federal Register in response to a proposed regulation that would limit visas for foreign students and scholars to a length of four years. The comment urges the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to reject the proposed rule because it “poses undue hardship on foreign students and scholars, threatens American scholarly leadership, and would damage the American economy.”
AHA Signs On to Letter Defending Funding for Title VI and Fulbright–Hays Programs
On September 29, the AHA signed on to a letter from the Coalition for International Education calling for the Department of Education to continue to fund Title VI and Fulbright–Hays programs offering grants for international educational exchange. The Department of Education requested these programs be defunded in their FY26 appropriations request, and on September 10, it informed all Title VI noncompeting continuation grantees that their FY25 funding was repurposed for other unrelated programs. The letter asks that the FY25 funds be restored, and that these programs be funded at the appropriated FY25 levels for the coming fiscal year. “These programs in fact are in the best interest of the Federal Government, significantly advance American interests and values, and contribute to U.S. global leadership,” the letter stated. “Comprehensive global and regional expertise is now more crucial than ever for our nation’s well-being today and in the future. Discontinuing funding undermines long-standing national security imperatives, putting America’s strength and competitiveness at risk.”
AHA Signs On to Letter in Support of Funding for the National Park Service
On September 29, the AHA signed on to a letter from the National Parks Conservation Association urging senators to fund national parks and NPS cultural resources in FY26. The letter asks them to vote to pass the appropriations bill as approved by the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies in late September, which kept funding level or moderately increased it from FY25 for crucial programs such as the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, NPS Cultural Programs, the Heritage Partnership Program for National Heritage Areas, and State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Attribution must provide author name, article title, Perspectives on History, date of publication, and a link to this page. This license applies only to the article, not to text or images used here by permission.
