Advocating for the Humanities on the Virtual Hill
Every year, the National Humanities Alliance (NHA) organizes a nationwide coalition that advocates for federal funding of the humanities, known as Humanities Advocacy Day. In 2022, the Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere sponsored three graduate students, as well as administrators, faculty, and staff working in the humanities, to take part in this experience. This year’s multi-part virtual event included training sessions and workshops on advocacy best practices, as well as the opportunity to connect with faculty, graduate students, and staff from other universities to make the case for federal funding of the humanities across the United States. The small delegation met with staffers for Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, Gainesville Congresswoman Kat Cammack and other politicians. This experience provided insight into the policies and pipelines that connect federal funding with campuses, local organizations, and programs in the city of Gainesville and the University of Florida, such as the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Title VI and Fulbright-Hays programs. Working with the NHA highlighted the importance of advocacy work for sustaining the humanities throughout Gainesville and the state of Florida.