In March, the AHA joined other organizations in condemning the treatment of Africans fleeing Ukraine, opposing discrimination against Russian and Belarusian scholars, and in support of Title VI program funding, and sent a letter addressing the planned budget cuts to the Iowa State University Department of History.

AHA Signs On to African Studies Association Statement on Discriminatory Treatment of Africans Fleeing War in Ukraine

On March 10, the AHA signed on to a statement from the African Studies Association (ASA) which condemns the “discriminatory, inhumane, and racist treatment of Africans fleeing Ukraine, which clearly violates international law,” and “call[s] on Ukrainian and authorities in neighboring countries to treat all those fleeing the conflict equally, with dignity, and without discrimination based on race or status.”

AHA Signs On to Coalition for International Education Letter Urging Reauthorization of Key Title VI Programs

On March 10, the AHA signed on to a letter from the Coalition for International Education calling on congressional leaders to support the reauthorization of key programs under Title VI of the Higher Education Act. The letter states, “The USICA and COMPETE Act bills reauthorize the key Title VI foundational programs that address the nation’s critical and expanding needs for expertise in foreign languages, world regions, and international business, to be available whenever an international or global crisis erupt.”

AHA Sends Letter to Iowa State University Urging Reconsideration of Planned Budget Cuts

On March 16, the AHA sent a letter to the leadership of Iowa State University expressing concern about “the imposition of a cumulative 34% cut to the Department of History’s already lean operating budget.” “[W]e are mystified by the logic of a budget that will so dramatically diminish the presence of a department that has performed well, operated efficiently, and plays a central role in the university’s historic roots as a land grant institution dedicated to the role of higher education in public culture,” the AHA wrote. The letter emphasized that the Department of History is a “positive good to the budget, the university, and the citizens of Iowa.”

AHA Signs On to Joint Statement of Opposition to Banning Scholars Based on Citizenship

On March 17, the AHA signed on to a joint statement from the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies; the British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies; and the American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages on “the vilification and exclusion of our Russian and Belarusian students and colleagues.” Sanctions banning Russians and Belarusians “have the potential to harm those living in authoritarian regimes who are opposed to the war. We encourage all members of our community who stand against the war in Ukraine to come together and support our students and colleagues,” the statement says.

AHA Writes to State Legislators in Support of Honest History Education

In March, as part of the ongoing Freedom to Learn initiative, the AHA sent letters to state legislators in Alabama, Alaska, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia opposing bills that would limit history education in ways that would make it virtually impossible for teachers to help students understand the continuing impact of slavery and racism in American history. Freedom to Learn is part of the AHA’s efforts to combat attempts by legislators to minimize or even exclude from classrooms critical elements of the American past.