The National Humanities Alliance Humanities Advocacy Day was held virtually on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. This annual event is designed to encourage members of Congress to support federal funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and the Department of Education’s international education programs (Title VI and Fulbright-Hays).
This year, Dr. Spoma Jovanovic participated in this advocacy work as a representative of NCA. Jovanovic is a Professor in the Communication Studies Department at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, and currently serves as the Director of NCA’s Center for Communication, Community Collaboration, and Change. Regarding the Advocacy Day experience, Jovanovic notes that because “advocacy is a communication act, I felt like I was in my element—developing strong arguments for our audience on Capitol Hill.”
Jovanovic explains that this advocacy work is important for Communication professors and the health of the discipline as NEH, Title VI, and NARA “offer rich opportunities to amplify the impact and research of our scholarly work.” Jovanovic adds that “as our discipline secures more federal funding, the message is clear—studying ethical communication as expressed in dialogue, cultural performances, history, art and other mediums—is valuable in leading us to a more just world.”