Monthly Community Message

Community Message for April 2026

A Message from ACLS President Joy Connolly
Published: April 8, 2026

Greetings to the ACLS community:

The humanities went viral in March, thanks to footage of depositions given by former “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) staff trying to explain how they used amateur ChatGPT prompts to identify National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grants as “DEI” and therefore prime targets for cutting. The depositions came about as part of the lawsuit ACLS brought together with the American Historical Association and the Modern Language Association to redress the damage done to the NEH last year. We’re proud to be the first case to get sworn testimony by DOGE into the public record.  

Our goal was not to draw attention to the two DOGE employees, but to inform the public about their actions, in the interest of the common good. Beyond causing anger at their methods, the footage also put viewers face to face with what total indifference to knowledge looks like. We are encouraged by the strong expressions of outrage at the carelessness of their process in cutting the grants, and even more so by the praise on social media for the work that they slashed. Research support for college and university faculty, archaeological excavations, the preservation of decaying historic documents and photographs, professional development for high school teachers, public programs for veterans with PTSD, mapping projects that allow K-12 students to learn about the history of their town and document it for others – ended because this administration thinks this work is useless and “wasteful.” 

We know, of course, that this view extends beyond the administration. Studies show that the American public values what we study but not the study itself. It’s understandable. In an economically precarious world, the impulse to ask, “what does this do for me?” is intense. Transactionality and all the language associated with it – deliverables, ROI, “credentials of value” – feels not only normal, but all that there is.

Humanistic and social scientific inquiry has many immediate pay-offs. As those of us lucky enough to spend time in classrooms know, it also transcends the transactional. That is surely why so many people want to police it or stamp it out. The space where people get together in a room and practice collective thinking about big questions – including what kind of world we want to build together – is impossible to fully control.

Humanistic and social scientific inquiry has many immediate pay-offs. As those of us lucky enough to spend time in classrooms know, it also transcends the transactional.

This is why the Florida State University System Board of Governors has banned the introductory sociology course from foundational curricula at the state’s universities. It’s easier to censor critical thinking about society on the charge that it’s “woke” than to seek to understand how society operates – for good and for ill. The Texas State University System has banned the study of women and gender and sexuality on similar cowardly grounds.

Our mission at ACLS is to advance humanistic inquiry and create better conditions for undertaking it. We have come to see that part of creating those conditions is speaking out – describing its value in language that everyone can understand and appreciate. Our goal is not to shout into the void, but to identify people we can reach and tell the story of our intrinsic and instrumental value again and again.

A recent essay in The New Yorker by Charles Duhigg examining effective political movements contrasted groups that are good at mobilizing versus those that are good at organizing. Mobilizing gets people on the streets, Duhigg points out; organizing helps interested people “become leaders on their own,” experimenting with different tactics that make the most of their local contexts.

With DASSH (Defending the Arts, Social Sciences, and the Humanities), ACLS is doing the work of organizing as Duhigg describes it. DASSH is in the launching stage. We’re excited, because we see it enabling other people to do what they – that is, you – can do best in your local context and with the time and energy you have. We know time and energy are finite resources, so my colleagues and I have written up a list of ways you can get involved.

Here it is:

Like, follow, and share our social media content

Social media matters, particularly to those under 45. Spread the word about our advocacy efforts, events, grant competitions, and our stories about awardees.

If you’re a scholar: tell your own story! Practice speaking to academic administrators (especially those outside the humanities and social sciences) and to people outside academia about why you enjoy the work you do, not just what you do

Your passion for your work is an immensely powerful resource! People love talking with those who are excited about what they do. Sharing why you love your work helps others understand the importance of our fields, demystifies what happens on campus, and points to the impact of our work, especially on students.

  • Get on social media and share your enthusiasm
  • Take advantage of low-stakes, casual opportunities to share what excites you about your work. For example, if someone asks you what you do, you could say:
    • “I teach students poetry, and I love it because…”
    • “I study migration because it helps us understand…”
    • “I’m writing a book about the history of early modern music because…”
Speak to people in your community about your work, field, or area of expertise

Demonstrate how the humanities and social sciences touch our everyday lives. By speaking and learning with others beyond campus, we help make our fields more accessible and less abstract. For this, you aren’t speaking (simply) as a representative of your department or university, but as a fellow community member/person who enjoys learning

  • Seek opportunities to speak at a gathering for your local public library or museum, religious community, or affinity groups you are active in  
  • Look into Lectures on Tap or Profs & Pints, live public event series which presents scholars giving 45 minute lectures in bars across the country including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Denver, Nashville, Philadelphia, Chicago, and New York

Many of you, I know, do this work already. Thank you!

Joy