Advocacy
Latest update: AASLH President & CEO John Dichtl submitted a declaration for a lawsuit in defense of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
The history field is facing multiple challenges, including increased government censorship, cancelled grants and services from federal agencies, and efforts by the White House to promote a triumphalist vision of the U.S. 250th anniversary. This page highlights the latest developments, what AASLH is doing, what you can do, and key resources for supporting the history community.
Immediate actions
AASLH is encouraging members of the field to:
- Send us your grant cancellation and reinstatement notices and impact stories via this survey.
- Send an email or letter to support the bipartisan 250th Caucus in Congress.
- Send this letter to your representative to support 250th funding for IMLS.
Recent major developments
- May 15: Federation of State Humanities Councils and Oregon Humanities file joint lawsuit challenging executive actions against National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
- May 13: Judge issues preliminary injunction requested by 21 state attorneys general in lawsuit filed to defend Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS); injunction requires Trump administration to undo steps taken to dismantle IMLS and prohibits further action against agency.
- May 12: Authors Guild and group of scholars file class action lawsuit contesting cancelled NEH grants; federal judge soon issues order tentatively consolidating this lawsuit with similar suit brought by American Historical Association (AHA) et al.
- May 8: President Trump dismisses Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden.
- May 2: White House releases its FY26 budget recommendations, which eliminate funding for NEH and IMLS, as well as reduces support for National Park Service (NPS).
- May 1: Judge grants “narrow” temporary restraining order in lawsuit brought by American Library Association (ALA) against Trump administration, halting further efforts to dismantle IMLS. AHA and partner associations file lawsuit to defend the NEH.
- April 29: Mellon Foundation makes one-time, stop-gap emergency funding commitment of $15 million for all 56 state and territory humanities councils.
- April 10: Portion of cancelled NEH grants announced reallocated to White House’s “Garden of Heroes” project.
- April 7: Democracy Forward files lawsuit on behalf of ALA and AFSCME in support of IMLS.
- April 4: Twenty-one state attorneys general file lawsuit to defend IMLS.
- Weeks of April 3, 8, and 15: Thousands of NEH and IMLS grants suddenly cancelled.
- Week of April 3: Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) places approximately 80% of NEH staff on administrative leave.
- March 31: DOGE places entire IMLS staff on 90-day administrative leave.
- March 27: Trump signs executive order attempting to replace evidence-based history with deceptive, exclusionary narrative at Smithsonian Institution and NPS sites.
- March 14: Trump signs executive order aimed at dismantling IMLS.
- February 14: DOGE lays off approximately 1,000 NPS staffers.
- February 7: President Trump dismisses Archivist of the United States Colleen Shogan.
- January 29: Trump signs executive orders promoting narrow, incomplete view of history and commemoration: one undermining effective and accurate K–12 history education and one promoting an exclusively celebratory observance of the U.S. 250th.
- January 20: Trump signs executive order ending diversity, equity, and inclusion programs throughout the federal government.
AASLH’s efforts to champion the history field are made possible by the generous support of the history community. Become a member of AASLH or donate today.
Updated May 16, 2025.
AASLH is pursuing multiple strategies to respond to current challenges and build a stronger, more sustainable history community.
Collecting real-world stories of impact
AASLH is gathering experiences from history organizations nationwide to better understand—and draw attention to—the real-world impact of recent state and federal actions. Share your story and read examples.
Considering legal options
We are exploring legal avenues in support of the federal agencies that help power the history community. These options include joining an existing lawsuit as a co-plaintiff, filing a separate suit, and/or filing an amicus brief with a court entertaining one of the existing suits. Most recently, AASLH President & CEO John Dichtl submitted a declaration in a lawsuit defending IMLS.
Offering training and community-building opportunities
AASLH is designing programs and resources to help practitioners deepen their advocacy capacities. Resources include:
- Attend Solidarity Hour on May 22, a free online event
- “Strengthening Communication Workshop,” June 25, 2025
- Reframing History report and toolkit on effectively communicating about history
Encouraging Congress to fund IMLS for the 250th
AASLH is working with bipartisan lawmakers in Congress to circulate a Dear Colleague letter asking for funding for IMLS and the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, which could offer avenues for investing in state and local history organizations. Please consider sending this draft to your Congressional representative. Learn more here.
Speaking out about history—effectively
Grounded in the findings of extensive research showing most Americans’ support for complete and accurate tellings of history, AASLH has been shining a light on the field via various communications platforms. AASLH was recently quoted in articles on museum exhibitions planned for the 250th and White House efforts to control the anniversary’s narrative.
You can also read recent advocacy-related pieces on the AASLH blog. Recently, we featured a post by an AASLH member about the value of IMLS and NEH.
AASLH’s efforts to champion the history field are made possible by the generous support of the history community. Become a member of AASLH or donate today.
Share your impact story with AASLH
Specific, local stories are the most effective way to advocate for the history community. Share your story to help AASLH demonstrate the effect on the field of recent government actions. See sample stories here.
Appeal your grant cancellation
If your federal grant has been cancelled, there are steps you can take to advocate for your organization and lay the groundwork for possible remedy in the future. These include:
- Share your grant cancellation notice with AASLH, the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), and/or other relevant associations.
- Submit a formal appeal for the cancellation. You can follow instructions to do so from the National Council of Nonprofits and Holland & Knight.
- Ensure your response to the grant termination is documented by submitting it via both the official grant portal and in a message to official agency email addresses.
- Report the cancelled grant to your members of Congress, via both email and phone.
Contact your elected officials
Tell your elected representatives and other stakeholders how your organization is being affected by government actions. Be as specific as possible.
- Ask your representatives in the House and Senate to defend IMLS, NEH, and NPS and push back against censorship. You can also encourage your federal representatives to join the Congressional Museum Caucus.
- Write and call your state-level elected officials and ask them to encourage their peers in the federal government to push back against harm to the history field.
- Encourage your museum’s Board, supporters, and members to write and call their members of Congress.
- Invite Congress to your organization. Demonstrate your institution’s value by offering your representatives a special tour. To get in touch, contact district offices or attend public forums they are hosting.
Reach out to local media.
Local news stories can be a powerful way to demonstrate the importance of the history field and federal cultural agencies. If you live in a community with a reputable local news outlet, contact them to gauge their interest in your organization’s story.
Make the case with research
Research shows that the vast majority of people in America value history institutions such as museums. We also know that the majority of the public embrace complete and honest American history and want to see these stories told at museums, history organizations, and historic sites.
AASLH’s efforts to champion the history field are made possible by the generous support of the history community. Become a member of AASLH or donate today.
Combatting censorship
- AASLH Issue Brief: Educational Censorship in America (2022)
- AASLH Action Guide for History Censorship (2022)
- American Historical Association (AHA) and Organization of American Historians (OAH) Joint Statement on Federal Censorship of American History (2025)
- PEN America information on book bans and educational censorship
Research on the history field and history in American life
- AASLH Reframing History initiative (2022)
- AASLH National Census of History Organizations (2022)
- AHA report: “American Lesson Plan: Teaching US History in Secondary Schools” (2024)
- AHA report: “History, the Past, and Public Culture” (2021)
- More in Common report: “Defusing the History Wars: Finding Common Ground in Teaching America’s National Story” (2022)
Effective history communication
- AASLH Reframing History initiative
- Recordings from AASLH 2024 virtual summit Doing History in Polarized Times
- Nationhood Lab report: “The Story of America: A Rebooted Civic National Narrative” (2025)
- National Trust for Historic Preservation 10 Tips for Advocacy
Defending federal agencies
- AHA Tracking Federal Actions Affecting History initiative
- OAH Federal Employees and Contractors Oral History Project
- Journal of Early Republic’s Early Republic Tracker
- George Wright Society’s The Stewardship Archive: Protecting America’s Public Lands, Waters, and Cultural Sites
Other resources
- Museums Advocacy Day
- Data stories and annual reports on museums from Wilkening Consulting
AASLH’s efforts to champion the history field are made possible by the generous support of the history community. Become a member of AASLH or donate today.