Save the NEA and NEH

Below is a letter from the Society for Ethnomusicology's President Anne K. Rasmussen and Executive Director Stephen Stuempfle. Funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities is absolutely essential to the existence and success of MTAP and MSU Museum programs. Please consider contacting your government representatives to tell them why you think the NEA and NEH are important.


Dear SEM Member,

SEM, like many other scholarly societies, is currently mobilizing its members in support of continued funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Though the Trump administration, on May 23, reiterated its call for the elimination of the NEA and NEH, there is potential for significant bipartisan support for both agencies in Congress.

Now is the time to contact your representative and senators and emphasize the importance of full funding for the NEA and NEH for FY 2018 and beyond. Though an email message is very helpful, a phone call, posted letter, or personal visit is even better.

You can find information on advocacy for the NEA on the Americans for the Arts’ Arts Mobilization page; and information on advocacy for the NEH on the National Humanities Alliance’s Resources page. In addition, the National Humanities Alliance provides advocacy information on other cultural agencies, such as IMLS, Title VI, and Fulbright-Hays. See also a recent letter from Pauline Yu, President of the American Council of Learned Societies.

Appeals for support for the NEA, NEH, and other agencies can be combined in a single communication. To contact your representative and senators, please visit the following websites:U.S. House Contact Information
US. Senate Contact Information

Over the past several decades, ethnomusicologists have worked with many organizations that have received grants from the NEA, NEH, and other cultural agencies. Thank you for supporting continued federal funding for ethnomusicology and the arts and humanities as a whole!

Sincerely,

Anne K. Rasmussen
SEM President

Stephen Stuempfle
SEM Executive Director