What World Do You Want to Live In?
May Advocacy Update
Across the country, policy decisions are shaping the conditions in which artists, cultural workers, and communities live, work, gather, vote, learn, and create. Federal arts and humanities funding, food assistance, voting rights, immigration enforcement, education policy, and nonprofit infrastructure may seem like separate issues, but they are connected by a larger question:
What kind of world are we choosing to build?
The path we are on is not the only path available to us. In a democracy, self-determination is not only a principle; it is a practice. It requires us to pay attention, speak clearly, and participate where we can.
So I ask you: Is this the world you want to live in?
If the answer is no, here’s what you can do: call your federal, state, and local legislators. Tell them the future they should be working for and what your community needs to thrive. Share resources with your networks. Strengthen your policy literacy. Get involved where you are most needed and where you can be most useful.
Our struggles are interconnected, and so are our contributions. As artists and cultural workers, we know how to imagine what does not yet exist and bring it into being. These skills are relevant to our creative work and our civic work.
In solidarity,
Bertrand Evans-Taylor
Director of Government Affairs
advocacy@danceusa.org
Take Action Now 📣
Action #1: Urge Congress to Strengthen Food Security Through SNAP
United Way Worldwide is calling on advocates to urge Congress to support a uniform delay in upcoming SNAP implementation changes. These changes could increase administrative and benefit-cost burdens on states, creating additional pressure on programs that help families and communities access food assistance. A delay would give states more time to reduce error rates, modernize systems, and implement policy changes responsibly while protecting access for people who rely on SNAP.
Action #2: Help Your Venue Prepare for Immigration Enforcement Activity
Western States Center has created a practical guide for venue owners, operators, and staff on how to prepare if immigration enforcement shows up at a venue or event. The guide includes steps for designating a law enforcement liaison, distinguishing between public and private spaces, reviewing warrants, training staff, documenting incidents, and supporting artists, workers, and audiences. This resource is informational and is not legal advice.
Action #3: Disrupt the Harm in Dance Spaces
Disrupting Harm in Dance is a free, self-directed toolkit created with dance-field collaborators to help dancers, performers, educators, administrators, and production workers strengthen consent, boundaries, accountability, access, communication, and care in dance environments. The resource includes videos, worksheets, discussion tools, and reflection prompts that may help individuals and organizations prevent harm and build safer, more supportive dance spaces.
📰 Policy & Advocacy Updates
Voting Rights Act Case Raises Redistricting Concerns
Recent Supreme Court action in Louisiana v. Callais has raised new questions about how Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act can be used in redistricting cases. The case centers on whether Louisiana’s congressional map properly protects Black voters’ ability to elect candidates of their choice, while also raising broader questions about how courts balance protections against racial vote dilution with limits on race-conscious redistricting.
For arts advocates, this matters because district lines shape representation, policy priorities, and communities’ ability to advocate for public resources. Advocates are watching closely for how the Court’s decision may affect future redistricting fights and access to fair representation. You can also watch the recent Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing.
Federal Judge Rules NEH Grant Cancellations Were Unconstitutional
A federal judge ruled that the DOGE-led cancellation of National Endowment for the Humanities grants was unconstitutional, finding that DOGE lacked authority to rescind the grants. The ruling has broad implications for the humanities and cultural sectors, as the terminated grants included awards to both individuals and institutions. Many grants have been reinstated, though some remain terminated, and the reason for those exclusions is not yet clear. The case also underscores that diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations are part of NEH’s statutory grantmaking responsibilities.
You can view the publicly available list of reinstated grants.
Southern Poverty Law Center Faces Federal Fraud Charges
The Southern Poverty Law Center has been indicted on federal fraud and money laundering charges related to its former use of paid informants inside extremist organizations. Federal prosecutors allege that SPLC misled donors and financial institutions about how funds were used, while SPLC denies the charges and says its work with informants helped monitor threats, support law enforcement, and prevent violence.
In the wake of the charges, some major donor-advised fund sponsors paused grants to SPLC. Fidelity Charitable and Vanguard Charitable cited the ongoing investigation and allegations as reasons for temporarily blocking grant recommendations, even though SPLC has not lost its nonprofit status.
SNAP Cuts Begin to Affect Food Assistance Access
Recent reporting and policy tracking show that people are already losing access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits as states implement major changes from the 2025 federal tax and spending law. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that SNAP participation fell by more than 3.5 million people between July 2025 and February 2026, with declines appearing in every state.
The changes include expanded work requirements, new limits on eligibility for some immigrants, increased administrative burdens, and a future shift of SNAP benefit costs onto states. Advocates are watching closely for further enrollment declines, delays, and improper denials as states adjust their systems and attempt to reduce error rates.