Success! Songmasters Garners $2.5M FY23 Appropriation for Library of Congress
After nearly three years of advocacy with members of both chambers working across the aisle, Songmasters obtained the support of both the Senate and the House to award $2.5 M to establish the L:ewis-Houghton Civics and Democracy Initiative (LHI) at the Library of Congress.. Congressmen John Lewis (D-GA) and Amo Houghton (R-NY) both championed The American Road, about which the late Rep. John Lewis wrote just three days before he passed, The American Road will “bolster and restore the understanding and faith in the long and complicated challenge of maintaining our democracy.”
Drawing on The American Road as inspiration for this initiative, LHI will likewise bring the power of music to the understanding of US history, civics and democracy. Using LoC’s primary source material award recipients will provide secondary students and teachers alike with new tools, resources, and experiences through the integration of LoC’s cultural resources (including music) with its history, film, photo, and other documentary collections) within comprehensive and multi-year curricula for instruction of secondary school students. In turn, this will expand the type of offerings LoC has made available to date for easier and more meaningful use by teachers and students to support history and civics education and American democracy. The LoC will develop its funding approach and solicitations process in the coming months.
