Underground Railroad Museum Sues Trump Administration, Citing Racial Discrimination in Grant Cancellation

An Albany, New York institution dedicated to the Underground Railroad has filed a federal lawsuit, alleging the Trump administration unlawfully terminated a $250,000 grant on the basis of race and viewpoint, a move the museum links to the president's broader directives against diversity initiatives.

Legal Challenge Emerges Amidst Policy Shift

The Underground Railroad Education Center in Albany, New York, has initiated legal action against the Trump administration, asserting that the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) improperly canceled a $250,000 federal grant. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, the lawsuit contends that the termination constitutes viewpoint and racial discrimination, violating the First and Fifth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, respectively. The museum's legal challenge seeks the immediate reinstatement of the crucial funding.

Central to the lawsuit's claims is President Donald Trump's January 2025 executive order, which mandated federal agencies to eliminate any operations supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within a 60-day timeframe. The 40-page legal brief submitted by the museum highlights that approximately 1,400 grants were terminated in early April 2025, specifically cited as being "in conflict with President Trump’s EOs and the new agency priorities adopted in their wake." The lawsuit posits that the grant cancellation for the Underground Railroad Education Center falls under this broad directive, signaling a targeted effort against organizations focused on certain historical and cultural narratives.

Allegations of Systematic Targeting

Nina Loewenstein, a lawyer representing the Underground Railroad Education Center, articulated the museum's position to NBC News, stating there is "just no legitimate basis" for the grant's cancellation. She further characterized the action as "explicitly erasing things associated with the Black race." Loewenstein and her legal team, volunteering their services through Lawyers for Good Government—an organization dedicated to providing pro bono legal assistance for civil and human rights cases—maintain that the Albany museum is one of potentially thousands of organizations unlawfully targeted by the Trump administration's policies.

The lawsuit directly addresses the administration's broader approach, alleging that "numerous statements of the current Executive Branch leadership reflect overt and coded racism supporting white supremacy and denigrating Black history in America." It further claims that the administration has "systematically targeted grantees and programs that sought to increase the public’s understanding of Black history and cultures." The White House did not provide an immediate response to a request for comment regarding the lawsuit on Saturday evening.

This legal action by the Underground Railroad Education Center is not an isolated incident. The Trump administration has faced similar allegations and challenges regarding its directives affecting cultural institutions and historical narratives nationwide. Last month, a judge ordered the administration to restore a slavery exhibit at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia, following the removal of artwork and informational displays. Additionally, a November directive altered the days Americans could visit national parks for free, notably removing Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from the list. In August, the administration initiated an extensive review of the Smithsonian’s museum exhibitions, materials, and operations, seeking to align them with the president’s specific view of history.

The Museum's Mission and Impact

The Underground Railroad Education Center operates from the historic home of Stephen and Harriet Myers in Albany, New York. The Myers, prominent abolitionists in the decades leading up to the Civil War, played a pivotal role in assisting thousands of individuals escape slavery, according to the museum’s co-founders, Paul and Mary Liz Stewart.

The Stewarts commenced their research into the Underground Railroad in the late 1990s. Mary Liz Stewart, then a fifth-grade teacher, noted a striking lack of awareness among her students regarding the subject, despite its profound local ties. Since 2004, the couple has dedicated themselves to restoring the Myers' residence, transforming it into a vibrant community hub that hosts tours and various educational activities.

The museum has been actively working toward a $12 million project to construct an interpretive center adjacent to the Myers' home, a necessity as its current operations have outgrown the historical space. The unexpected loss of the $250,000 grant from the NEH, the Stewarts affirmed, represents a significant setback for this crucial expansion project. Mary Liz Stewart emphasized the grant's symbolic importance, stating that 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.'"

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