Grants for humanities projects in Charlottesville, across U.S.

Hundreds of humanities projects across the country have received grant funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

According to a release, the $22.2 million in grants will support many projects such as a documentary on civil rights pioneer Marian Anderson, a Norman Rockwell Museum exhibit, and the digital infrastructure of the Walt Whitman Archive.

“In these somber times, when every individual, community, and organization in America is feeling the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, it is a joy to be able to announce new projects that will produce vibrant humanities programs and resources for the reopening of our cultural centers and educational institutions,” said NEH Chairman Jon Parrish Peede. “These 224 projects exemplify the spirit of the humanities and their power to educate, enrich and enlighten.”

Several of the projects are being funded by the "A More Perfect Union" initiative that aims to promote a deeper understanding of U.S. history and culture, aiming to advance civics education ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

For example, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc. is getting $75,000 to plan a new exhibition and three new tours exploring the impact of the Declaration of Independence and its principles of freedom and equality.

Along with the grant for the programs at Monticello, there are other grants coming to the Charlottesville area.

One involves a book that is being written about the Levantine Joint-stock Companies and the origins of capitalist development in the Middle East.

Another is digitally analyzing maps of the American Southeast that were created by Native-American communities during the colonial era.

A fourth grant will be going to enhance a database that details the lives of thousands of enslaved and formerly enslaved African-Americans in Virginia who participated in the colonization and establishment of Liberia in the 19th century.