Silencing the Storytellers: Five Fronts in the War on American Culture

The Battle for the American Mind and the Soul of Democracy

In the United States, the pillars of education, arts, and culture are under siege.

That’s the political headline.

The deeper story? Intelligence and critical thinking are in the crosshairs of autocrats and oligarchs, for whom an uninformed or misinformed public is the golden goose.

The systematic dismantling of these cornerstones of democracy isn’t an accident of budget cuts or administrative oversight. It’s a deliberate campaign, advanced through judicial activism, executive overreach, and legislative sabotage of public institutions.

These foundational elements of a thriving democracy are being systematically dismantled by a confluence of judicial activism and executive overreach. From efforts to divert public funds to religious institutions, to draconian budget cuts aimed at cultural organizations, the current trajectory threatens to erode the very fabric of American intellectual and artistic life.

They’re not just coming for the books—but for the people who write them. Not just for the theaters—but for the ideas they bring to life. Not just for the classrooms—but for the minds they awaken.

Across the country—in statehouses and school boards, through executive orders and stealth legislation—a cultural scorched-earth policy is underway.

This is not merely an attempt to “reform” education or rein in cultural spending. It is an effort to reshape the American imagination itself.

It is brazen, unapologetic, and increasingly effective. And it’s not just about policy—it’s about power. The power to define what is taught, what is expressed, what is remembered—and, ultimately, who gets to belong.

Let’s look at five critical fronts in this war on culture: the humanities, public media, public education, museums and libraries, and historical institutions.

1. The Humanities

What do an archaeological dig in La Quemada, Day of the Dead history lessons, and a school librarian in Yavapai County have in common? In Arizona, they all tell the story of how federal investment in the humanities—and in our libraries—enriches life. And they show us exactly what we stand to lose if that investment disappears.

Draconian cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) threaten to gut the cultural, educational, and civic infrastructure that holds this country together. This isn’t just about academics or the arts. It’s about our identity. Our memory. Our ability to understand each other across time, space, and difference.

Just $16 million in NEH support has made possible more than 90 projects across Arizona—ranging from rural libraries to university research—that don’t just decorate our cultural fabric; they strengthen our communities, our classrooms, and our common understanding.

That support has helped:

• Digitize more than 100,000 pages of historic newspapers through the Arizona Digital Newspaper Project, preserving our stories for future generations.

• Bring literacy programs like AZ Reads to more than 30 K–12 schools, delivering books, authors, and the spark of reading to students across the state.

• Fund paid internships for aspiring museum professionals at the University of Arizona, preparing the next generation of cultural stewards.

• Preserve Indigenous oral histories and Latinx heritage along the U.S.-Mexico border through The Abuelas Project.

• Provide free public access to more than 660,000 digitized documents through the Arizona Memory Project.

• Expand library access, train teachers, and put books into the hands of Title I students in every corner of the state.

When we defund the humanities, we don’t just save a few dollars. We silence stories. We stall learning. We strip rural and underserved communities of access to history, culture, and education.

We need the NEH not because it gives us comfort, but because it gives us context—because it gives voice to those who came before and equips the next generation to understand the world they're inheriting.

From ancient ruins to modern classrooms, the humanities remind us who we are. Let’s not cut ourselves off from that.

In an age of disinformation and division, we need these programs more than ever. They preserve memory, foster critical thinking, and give voice to all Arizonans—not just the privileged few.

This is not about saving money. It’s about whether we value knowledge, equity, and democracy.

People’s stories matter. Our children’s literacy matters. Our cultural memory matters. And we cannot afford to lose them.

2. Public media

And it’s not just the humanities under attack. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting—along with NPR and PBS—is also in the crosshairs. These aren’t luxuries. They’re essential public goods. In a nation increasingly divided by misinformation and unequal access to media, public broadcasting stands as one of the last widely trusted, non-commercial sources of news, education, and cultural connection.

Drastic funding cuts to CPB threaten to dismantle a national civic infrastructure built over generations. CPB supports nearly 1,500 locally owned and operated public television and radio stations, ensuring that rural and underserved communities have access to children’s programming, public affairs, and educational content. These stations reach more than 99% of the American population, offering a rare space for shared stories and fact-based journalism.

Public media helps young children prepare for school. It gives voice to local artists and historians. It delivers breaking news in times of crisis. And it does all this without being driven by ratings or ad dollars.

In Arizona, CPB support has helped:

• Sustain Arizona PBS and KNAU in Flagstaff, which act as educational and cultural lifelines for vast swaths of the state.

• Offer early learning content to families without access to preschool or broadband internet—resources that proved vital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Support tribal and rural stations that broadcast in Indigenous languages and highlight local voices often left out of mainstream media.

• Deliver civics programming and community forums that inform and connect rather than inflame and divide.

Defunding CPB isn’t just about canceling Sesame Street—it’s about silencing a cornerstone of civic life. It’s about leaving millions without access to reliable information, cultural programming, and local news.

In an era of disinformation, we need trusted media more than ever. Public broadcasting fosters informed citizens, strengthens community ties, and ensures that no matter your zip code, you can access knowledge, creativity, and truth.

3. Public education

Public education has long been the bedrock of equal opportunity in America. That foundation is now cracking.

This spring, the U.S. Supreme Court—dominated by a 6–3 conservative majority—will hear three education cases, one of which could fundamentally alter the American education system. The issue: whether the state of Oklahoma must fund a religious charter school, the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School.

Although Oklahoma law classifies charter schools as public, St. Isidore openly plans to embed Catholic doctrine in its curriculum. A ruling in its favor could open the floodgates for religious entities nationwide to siphon taxpayer funds into sectarian education.

Legal scholars warn that this case could dismantle long-standing constitutional principles regarding the separation of church and state. Yale Law Professor Justin Driver underscored the stakes:

“This spring's trio of religion cases threatens nothing less than to raze foundational structures of American law and life. The Supreme Court this term could quite plausibly destroy the American public school as we have known it for the last several decades. Of course, many conservatives will regard that destruction not as a vice, but a virtue.”

For decades, public education has been the cornerstone of equal opportunity in America. The prospect of public funds subsidizing religious institutions threatens to upend this system, diverting taxpayer dollars from secular schools to sectarian entities that may not uphold the same standards of inclusivity, scientific integrity, or civic education.

Should SCOTUS rule in favor of St. Isidore, the floodgates will open for religious groups nationwide to claim public funding for schools that impose doctrinal teachings. This is not merely a policy shift—it is an existential threat to the American public education system.

Even at the state level, a barrage of legislation is chipping away at the integrity of secular, fact-based public education. For example, in Arizona, legislation has been introduced to suppress inclusive curricula, weaken science-based public health standards, and inject ideology into classrooms under the guise of “patriotism” or manufactured geography. Proposals range from banning the hiring of BIPOC educators and eliminating DEI-related programs, to granting exemptions from vaccination requirements, to mandating cooperation with religiously affiliated youth groups. One bill even calls for teaching about the so-called “Gulf of America”—a term with no geographic basis—highlighting the extent to which political agendas are distorting educational content. The pattern is clear: these efforts are not about improving education, but about reshaping it to serve a narrow worldview.

4. Museums and libraries

On March 14^th, Donald Trump took another direct shot at cultural and educational institutions, issuing an executive order to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)—branding it an “unnecessary” federal program.

IMLS funding is essential for:

• Public libraries, which provide free internet access, research assistance, and community outreach programs.

• Museums, zoos, and botanical gardens, which preserve cultural and natural history.

• Digital literacy programs that help bridge the digital divide, particularly for low-income families.

In 2024 alone, IMLS allocated over $211 million to libraries nationwide. Without this funding, countless educational and cultural resources will vanish, disproportionately impacting underserved communities.

The elimination of IMLS funding isn’t just about money—it’s about dismantling access to knowledge and culture.

In 2024 alone, IMLS allocated over $211 million to libraries across the country. These funds support:

• Free internet access and digital literacy programs,

• Preservation of cultural and natural history in museums,

• Community engagement, outreach, and education.

Our libraries, often the only free civic spaces in a community, have used IMLS support to hire school librarians, train paraprofessionals, and extend access in rural areas like Yavapai County.

In rural Arizona, IMLS dollars have kept libraries open, trained paraprofessionals, and hired school librarians. Remove that funding, and countless educational lifelines disappear—especially for low-income and underserved communities.

These are modest investments with wide ripples.

But the assault doesn’t stop at funding. The Trump administration has launched an aggressive campaign targeting America’s most esteemed museums and historical institutions. Through the executive order "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," the administration claims to be removing “divisive ideology.” In truth, it seeks to rewrite the American narrative—imposing a sanitized, government-approved version of history that erases complexity and silences the voices of historically marginalized communities.

Under this directive, the following national treasures are in the line of fire:

5. Historical institutions

The Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum and research complex, has become a key target. With over 154 million artifacts and millions of annual visitors, it plays a crucial role in documenting the American experience. This order threatens to fundamentally alter that mission.

Among the museums facing the axe:

• The National Museum of African American History and Culture has been accused of fostering a “harmful narrative” about race relations. The administration’s push to eliminate “divisive” content raises the possibility that exhibits on slavery, segregation, and systemic racism could be scaled back or removed entirely.

• The National Museum of the American Indian, one of the few institutions chronicling forced removals and broken treaties, faces similar risks. Its exhibits detailing the cultural erasure of Native American communities run counter to the administration’s preferred historical narrative.

• The American Women’s History Museum, still in development, has already drawn fire. The order explicitly directs the museum to exclude recognition of transgender women and imposes ideological oversight on its future exhibits.

• The National Portrait Gallery, known for showcasing influential Americans from diverse backgrounds, could see changes under the new directive. The gallery’s past inclusion of Barack Obama, Maya Angelou, and Sylvia Rivera reflects an America of inclusion—something the administration seeks to reverse.

The executive order also directs the Department of the Interior to restore statues and memorials that have been removed in recent years. This is a direct response to the reassessment of public monuments following the 2020 racial justice protests.

Among the monuments affected:

• Confederate statues in Richmond, Charlottesville, and New Orleans, taken down after long-standing debates over their place in public spaces, could be reinstated.

• The Theodore Roosevelt statue in New York City, removed due to its colonialist imagery, is being reconsidered for restoration.

• Markers honoring Indigenous and racial justice history, such as the Lynching Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama, and the Indigenous Peoples’ Day monument in Los Angeles, could be removed under the directive to “restore” a more palatable version of American history.

This is not about preserving history—it is about controlling it. The effort to erase stories of racial injustice, gender diversity, and Indigenous history does not restore balance; it reinstates a distorted and incomplete narrative.

The assault on culture as an assault on democracy

These investments don’t just honor the past—they invest in the future.

The weaponization of education and culture is a classic tactic of authoritarian regimes. When you suppress history, censor literature, or defund the arts, you don’t just limit expression—you erase identity, silence dissent, and condition obedience.

That’s why this fight is not theoretical—it’s existential. It demands collective action: contacting legislators to oppose attacks on public education and cultural institutions; supporting local advocacy groups fighting for truth in education and history; and championing public libraries, museums, and the arts.

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