Virginia Humanities receives $150,000 from Google Data Centers’ Community Development & Engagement team to support the HBCU Scholars Fellowship.
Virginia — Today, Virginia Humanities, the state humanities council, announced they have received $150,000 from Google Data Centers’ Community Development & Engagement team, to support the HBCU Scholars Fellowship.
Established in 2021, Virginia Humanities’ HBCU Scholars Fellowship has helped writers, community scholars, faculty members, and doctoral candidates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) by providing financial support for their research, access to publishing outlets, public promotion, and professional community/peer support.
This is the second significant funding announcement for the HBCU Scholars Fellowship this year, following the Mellon Foundation’s $850,000 award announced in June 2025.
“It’s heartening to see that the private sector values and supports this work,” said Yosef Medina, director of the fellowship. “This funding represents more than the support it will provide for HBCU scholars; it signals what is possible for the humanities sector at large. Support from individuals, corporations, and foundations is more vital than ever for cultural organizations. We are grateful to our partners at Google who understand the value and importance of this work and are excited for what the future holds.”
The announcement comes following the elimination of $1.7M in federal funding for Virginia Humanities and the cancellation of the National Endowment for the Humanities’ longstanding and highly regarded HBCU Fellowship earlier this year. The Virginia Humanities fellowship is now one of only two national programs dedicated to supporting HBCU humanities scholars in the United States—the other offered by the American Council of Learned Societies.
“At a time when federal cuts are threatening the future of public humanities programs across the country, this generous corporate gift is both timely and deeply affirming,” said Matthew Gibson, executive director of Virginia Humanities. “The investment creates a critical space for emerging and seasoned scholars to lead, research, and tell stories that matter. It’s a powerful reminder that even in moments of uncertainty, partnerships like this can help sustain the humanities and the institutions that have long been champions of the public good.”
Google’s funding and partnership will allow Virginia Humanities to expand eligibility for the fellowship to include HBCU alumni nationwide who are engaged in public humanities research projects.
Virginia Humanities has supported nine HBCU scholars since the program was established with support from the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation. The first cohort supported by Google funding has already begun, with an announcement to come later this month. Applications for next year’s cohort will open in December. For more information on this and other Virginia Humanities fellowship opportunities, visit VirginiaHumanities.org/fellowships.
About Virginia Humanities
Virginia Humanities is the state humanities council. We’re headquartered in Charlottesville at the University of Virginia, but we serve the entire state. We aim to share the stories of all Virginians—or, better yet, find ways for people to share their own stories. We want Virginians to connect with their history and culture and, in doing that, we hope we’ll all get to know each other a little better. Founded in 1974, we are one of fifty-six humanities councils created by Congress with money and support from the National Endowment for the Humanities to make the humanities available to all Americans. To learn more, visit VirginiaHumanities.org.
