Bill Text: VA SJR214 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Virginia Humanities.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-3)
Status: (Passed) 2024-03-07 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ214ER) [SJR214 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-SJR214-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Virginia Humanities, an organization dedicated to connecting Virginians by exploring their history, literature, and cultural traditions and the issues that matter to them, celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024; and
WHEREAS, founded in 1974, Virginia Humanities is one of 56 humanities councils created by the United States Congress with funding and support from the National Endowment for the Humanities; and
WHEREAS, Virginia Humanities' numerous programs and services include the online Encyclopedia Virginia, which has over two million visitors annually, the award-winning "With Good Reason" radio program, which airs weekly on 129 public stations across the country, the Virginia Folklife Program, which has hosted over 147 apprenticeship teams, and the Virginia Festival of the Book, which brings together thousands of book lovers in Charlottesville and at literary events across the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, since 1974, Virginia Humanities has awarded more than 3,500 grants to the Commonwealth's cultural nonprofits, enriching the state's cultural economy, and has also awarded over 400 fellowships to support projects that help Virginians better understand their history, culture, and each other; and
WHEREAS, over the last three years alone, Virginia Humanities has invested almost $3 million, including $1.5 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and American Rescue Plan Act, to help humanities organizations in the Commonwealth thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond; and
WHEREAS, through its Office of Education and Community Initiatives, Virginia Humanities has created a K-12 Educator Fellowship and a Virginia HBCU Scholars Fellowship, each which supports a cohort of multiple fellows each year; and
WHEREAS, since its founding, Virginia Humanities has received state funding to supplement its federal and private funding sources, demonstrating the accomplishments that can be achieved through effective public-private investment; and
WHEREAS, in celebration of its 50th anniversary, Virginia Humanities has planned two years of programs across the Commonwealth focused on the themes of democracy and civic engagement, cultures and communities, and education and life-long learning, underscoring the need for the humanities in public life as a vital tool for civic engagement and life preparedness; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Virginia Humanities on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Virginia Humanities as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the organization's history and appreciation for its contributions to the Commonwealth.
