The Window
News from the National Humanities Center
Issue 1, Vol 4
Message From the President and Director
Dear Friends,
In April of 2025, the landscape for the humanities was fundamentally shaken when the National Endowment for the Humanities abruptly defunded over 1,400 research projects and other initiatives. It was a sobering reminder of how vulnerable the infrastructure of inquiry can be and how important it is that we nurture the communities of practice that pursue and preserve knowledge.
While the external climate has been turbulent, the National Humanities Center remains a steadfast sanctuary for the vital, often “quiet” work of scholars. Our efforts to empower educators continue to fortify classroom teaching for students at every level. And we have expanded our support for community-based research and public programming that make intellectual discovery accessible and engaging.
Our resilience is not a coincidence; it is a testament to the enduring power of the questions we ask.
In this issue of The Window, we are thrilled to share some of the ways that spirit is manifesting:
- Welcome to the Class of 2026–27: Earlier this month, we announced the twenty-nine scholars who will make up the forty-ninth class of NHC Fellows. From the history of Latino capitalism to alternative cinema being produced in the Arab world, these scholars’ projects are tremendous examples of the breadth and brilliance of current humanities research.
- Being Human Festival (US): Our third annual festival kicked off this month at locations around the country. This year’s theme, “Between the Lines,” invites the public to explore the hidden histories and unspoken meanings that shape our world. Through twenty-three immersive events—from Connecticut to California—we are demonstrating how the humanities belong to everyone.
- Inaugural Community Scholars-in-Residence: We are delighted to welcome Lois Deloatch and Danita Mason-Hogans, our inaugural Community Scholars-in-Residence.
In a world that often demands simple answers, thank you for helping us support the complex, rigorous, and deeply human work of discovering the truths between the lines—truths that will endure well past the current moment.
Warmly,
Blair LM Kelley, President and Director
National Humanities Center
NHC Announces the 2026–27 Fellowship Class
The National Humanities Center is pleased to announce the appointment of twenty-nine Fellows for the 2026–27 academic year. These leading scholars will come to the Center from universities and colleges in fifteen US states, the District of Columbia, and Ghana. Chosen from 453 applicants, they represent humanistic scholarship in African studies; American studies; anthropology; archaeology and history; classics; environmental studies; ethnomusicology; food studies; history; history of art and architecture; English and indigenous studies; languages and literatures; Middle East studies; music history and musicology; and philosophy. Each Fellow will work on an individual research project and will have the opportunity to share ideas in seminars, lectures, and conferences at the Center.
These newly appointed Fellows will constitute the forty-ninth class of resident scholars to be admitted since the Center opened in 1978. “We are so excited to support the important work of this upcoming class of scholars,” said Martha Kelly, vice president for scholarly programs. “Their projects showcase some of the best work being done in the humanities and highlight the value humanistic scholarship brings to our daily lives. Their diverse interests will also help foster the vibrant intellectual community for which the National Humanities Center is known.”
Being Human Festival Celebrates its Third Year in the United States
“Events and programs like these encourage us to cultivate curiosity, embark on collective missions of discovery, and celebrate the wonder and complexity of our shared human journeys.”
With twenty-three events in nineteen cities across the US, the 2026 Being Human Festival (US) continues to grow. Begun in 2014 in the United Kingdom, the Being Human Festival highlights the ways that the humanities add depth and meaning to our lives, help us understand ourselves and one another, and provide context for the complex world around us.
Following the UK model, Being Human events in the US connect communities with local humanities scholars and organizations, shining a light on their work and actively engaging attendees. This year’s festival includes walking tours, interactive performances, art-making workshops, and concerts that bring the humanities to life for participants as they learn and explore.
Since its launch in 2024, the US version of the festival has not only grown in size but has demonstrated the efficacy and appeal of this kind of public engagement. In its first two years, the festival involved 56 individual events and activities, presented in partnership with 44 humanities and community organizations. Surveyed about their experiences, over 99% of participants indicated they planned to attend future events in their area and 95% said they would recommend Being Human US to others.
Partner organizations have also spoken glowingly of the Being Human initiative. One from St. Louis, Missouri noted that their participation “really made it possible for us to design a model of public humanities engagement that we plan to use in the future.” Another from Lawrence, Kansas said, “I believe learning is best accomplished outside of the classroom. Memories are made stronger in this way, and learning in community strengthens the bonds between thinking and action. We become more accountable with knowledge developed in community.”
Even as humanities-related projects are continuously underfunded or defunded, they find themselves reinvigorated with a sense of importance and meaning. “In this moment, it is essential to promote and preserve the humanities as a public good,” said Kellish. “Being Human allows us to share the intellectually rich work of humanities researchers and practitioners across the nation with public audiences in creative, immersive, and accessible ways.”
River People: A Being Human Festival Encounter Space on the Detroit River, Detroit, MI. Photo courtesy of U-M Detroit River Story Lab.
River People: A Being Human Festival Encounter Space on the Detroit River, Detroit, MI. Photo courtesy of U-M Detroit River Story Lab.
The Archive of Significant Objects, Minneapolis, MN. Photo by Nicole Neri.
The Archive of Significant Objects, Minneapolis, MN. Photo by Nicole Neri.
Poetry on the Deuces, St. Petersburg, FL. Photo courtesy of ÉLAN VITAL VISUALS.
Poetry on the Deuces, St. Petersburg, FL. Photo courtesy of ÉLAN VITAL VISUALS.
Ocmulgee Rising: A Celebration of Muscogee Creativity with Joy Harjo, Macon, GA. Courtesy of Georgia Humanities, photograph by Jessica Whitley.
Ocmulgee Rising: A Celebration of Muscogee Creativity with Joy Harjo, Macon, GA. Courtesy of Georgia Humanities, photograph by Jessica Whitley.
The US Childhood Arrivals Mural Project, New York, NY. Photo by Lizbeth De La Cruz Santana.
The US Childhood Arrivals Mural Project, New York, NY. Photo by Lizbeth De La Cruz Santana.
The Agency for Tiny Tourism, Minneapolis, MN. Photo by Nicole Neri.
The Agency for Tiny Tourism, Minneapolis, MN. Photo by Nicole Neri.
Forest Hill Cemetery: A Landmark of Memory and Design, Utica, NY. Photo courtesy of Forest Hill Cemetery Preservation Foundation
Forest Hill Cemetery: A Landmark of Memory and Design, Utica, NY. Photo courtesy of Forest Hill Cemetery Preservation Foundation
News from the NHC Community
Lois Deloatch, Danita Mason-Hogans Named
Community Scholars-in-Residence
We are pleased to welcome Lois Deloatch and Danita Mason-Hogans as the NHC’s inaugural Community Scholars-in-Residence. They each will begin four-week terms at the Center this summer, where they will receive support for their groundbreaking, community-sustaining work. The Community Scholars-in-Residence program has been created as a part of the Center’s ongoing commitment to support scholarly research and discovery by practitioners working within and outside academic settings.
Lois Deloatch Gomes. Photo: Tanisha Walker/ingodsimage.net
Lois Deloatch Gomes. Photo: Tanisha Walker/ingodsimage.net
Lois Deloatch is an accomplished musical artist and nonprofit leader whose work bridges cultural expression and social impact. Renowned for her rich contralto voice and evocative songwriting, she has performed internationally and released multiple recordings, including Love Always (2024) and her new project, The Sistering, a collaboration with celebrated artists Nnenna Freelon, Kate McGarry, and Lenora Zenzalai Helm. She recently performed at Carnegie Hall alongside Freelon, McGarry, Helm with The New England Symphonic Ensemble and The Tribe Jazz Orchestra.
Beyond her musical achievements, Lois has a deep commitment to fostering community and advancing the arts. She has held leadership roles at Duke University, North Carolina Central University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She currently serves as Senior Fellow at the Center for Community Self-Help. She is also the author of numerous articles and has conducted extensive research on key figures in social justice movements, civil rights, labor issues, and the arts.
Danita Mason-Hogans. Photo: Omar Roque
Danita Mason-Hogans. Photo: Omar Roque
Danita Mason-Hogans is an award-winning oral historian, educator, and community scholar whose work centers narrative justice, community memory, and descendant-informed research practices. A seventh-generation Chapel Hill native, her work is deeply rooted in place while shaping broader conversations on history, education, and public memory. She is the founder of Bridging the Gap with DMH, where she develops intergenerational programs that connect young people, elders, and institutions through oral history and critical engagement with the past.
With more than three decades of experience in education and public history, her work bridges grassroots knowledge and institutional practice, helping communities and organizations navigate difficult histories with honesty and care. She has collaborated with universities, cultural institutions, and national organizations, including veterans of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, to develop approaches that center lived experience as a form of expertise.
Edward J. Balleisen (NHC Fellow, 2009–10) was recently named the next provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at George Washington University in Washington, DC, effective July 1, 2026.
Nicholas Boggs (NHC Fellow, 2024–25) has received the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography for his work on James Baldwin, Baldwin: A Love Story (2025).
This spring, Martha S. Jones (NHC Fellow, 2013–14) coauthored an amicus brief with Kate Masur for the US Supreme Court in the Trump v Barbara case concerning birthright citizenship. They also wrote about the case in an op-ed for The New York Times.
Shailaja Paik (NHC Fellow, 2022–23) discussed her award-winning scholarly work on Dalit women, feminism, and the effects of caste with Frontline as part of its Dalit History Month interview series.
Cara Robertson (Trustee Emerita; NHC Fellow 2004–05; 2005–06) has joined BORDEN: A New Musical as dramaturge and historical advisor, lending her expertise on the life and trial of Lizzie Borden.
The NHC’s chief of staff, Cara Smelter, was recently featured in “Alumni in the Spotlight,” a running interview series from North Carolina State University’s Department of History.
Earlier this academic year, Benjamin Sommer (NHC Fellow, 2025–26) was featured in an episode of “At the Threshold,” a docuseries on contemporary prominent religious thinkers and thought-leaders.
Leslie Tuttle (NHC Fellow, 2010–11) recently offered her thoughts on researching and writing her second monograph on the impact of sleep and dreams in Early Modern France.
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