Underground Railroad Museum Sues Over Canceled Grant

Imagine pouring your heart and soul into preserving vital history, only to have crucial funding snatched away. That’s the reality for the Underground Railroad Education Center in Albany, New York, which has filed a lawsuit against the federal government to get back a $250,000 grant.

A Fight for Funding and History

The museum argues that the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) illegally terminated their funding. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, claims the NEH violated the First and Fifth Amendments by canceling the grant. The core of the museum’s argument? The funding was cut due to race and viewpoint, directly linked to the current administration’s push to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

This isn’t an isolated incident. An executive order in January 2025 reportedly mandated federal agencies to purge DEI-supporting operations within 60 days. This directive led to the termination of approximately 1,400 grants in April 2025, and the Underground Railroad Education Center is one of the organizations challenging this decision.

Allegations of Racial Bias

Nina Loewenstein, an attorney representing the center, stated, “There is just no legitimate basis for the grant’s cancellation. It is just explicitly erasing things associated with the Black race.” The lawsuit describes a “systematic targeting” of programs focused on educating the public about African American history and culture. Lawyers for Good Government, a volunteer legal team, contend that the Albany center is just one of many organizations caught in a broader campaign to suppress specific historical narratives.

The Impact on Expansion Plans

The Underground Railroad Education Center is housed in the former home of abolitionists Stephen and Harriet Myers, who famously aided thousands escaping slavery. For founders Paul and Mary Liz Stewart, the $250,000 grant was a critical piece of their $12 million expansion project. This project aims to build a new interpretive center, as the current facilities are struggling to accommodate the growing number of tours and community activities.

Mary Liz Stewart emphasized that the grant was more than just money; it was a validation of their mission. “It validated who we are as an organization, what we were trying to do, and in turn sort of said to the wider world, ‘This is an organization worth paying attention to,’” she explained. The center is now asking the court to order the immediate reinstatement of these vital funds.