
Virginia Humanities’ HBCU Scholars Fellowship supports faculty and alumni of HBCUs by giving these humanities scholars time to focus on research projects. In this episode, we speak with current HBCU Scholars Fellow Dr. Monika Rhue and Virginia Humanities’ Yosef Medina, who runs the program.

By the People: Conversations Beyond 250 is a series of community-driven programs created by 51 humanities councils across the United States, its territories, and the District of Columbia in collaboration with local partners. Together, these programs explore 250 years of the nation’s cultural life and imagine its shared future. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.

On January 15, the Senate passed the 2026 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, which includes level funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the humanities councils—$207 million for the NEH, with $65 million of that budget allocated to the 56 state and territorial humanities councils. The bill will now go to the President for his signature.