For nearly four decades, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has been a steady and essential partner in our mission—amplifying the voices, stories, and sounds of Africa and its global diasporas. Their support has helped sustain Afropop Worldwide’s unique programming, from field recordings in remote corners of the continent to our Peabody Award-winning Hip Deep series, bringing cultural depth and musical insight to listeners across the U.S. and beyond.
But this month, we received devastating news. Our 2025 NEA grant—already awarded and approved—was abruptly terminated. The reason? We’re told our work no longer aligns with the “President’s priorities” for the NEA.
This is not just a bureaucratic decision. It’s a sharp hit to our already lean operating budget. NEA funding has long served as a cornerstone of our production capacity, helping us continue to tell the powerful, untold stories behind the music that moves the world.
We’ve faced setbacks before—political shifts, wars, recessions, even a global pandemic. And every time, we’ve adapted and survived. This moment is no different. Our mission remains unchanged: to share the rhythms, voices, and narratives of African and diasporic cultures with the depth and respect they deserve.
We are not going anywhere. But we do need your help.
If Afropop has ever informed you, inspired you, moved you, or introduced you to a new sound or worldview, now is the time to stand with us.
Let’s prove—together—that the music cannot be silenced.
