After over 25 years of national recognition, artistic excellence, and community impact, The Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH) has been unexpectedly excluded from this year’s National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funding list. This decision didn’t come with a conversation — just a cold, bureaucratic letter terminating our grant and stating that our work no longer aligns with “new policy priorities.”

Let me be clear: this is more than a change in funding. It’s a cultural and political signal that threatens CTH and the very idea of who gets counted as part of this country’s rich artistic heritage.

RELATED: Black Voices in Classical Theater — Why Representation Matters

Since 1999, CTH has told global stories through the lens of the African diaspora. Our work spans from Shakespeare to August Wilson, from Euripides to new emerging playwrights of color. For over a decade, the NEA supported this mission, recognizing our innovative productions, youth programs, and deep roots in the community. Our summer program, Uptown Shakespeare in the Park (USP), has become a beloved New York tradition: free, high-caliber performances in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park that reach tens of thousands yearly.

This summer, we planned to stage “Memno,” written by Will Power and directed by Carl Cofield — a powerful retelling of the African warrior from Homer’s Iliad, made for our Harlem audience and open to all with no barriers to access. However, the NEA has now determined that this work “does not align” with their updated priorities.

It’s hard not to see the irony: “Memnon” is rooted in ancient storytelling, part of the very classical tradition the NEA is meant to uplift. I believe deeply — and unapologetically — that what we’re doing is squarely part of this nation’s rich artistic heritage.

I’d argue that CTH is one of the best examples of this.

We are not alone in this exclusion. Nearly 500 organizations across the U.S. have been cut, and as evidenced by those whose funding was terminated, it is clear: this administration is bent on silencing certain voices; this administration is employing cultural erasure.

Though these cuts threaten to derail CTH’s summer performances in conjunction with the $650,000+ in economic activity generated during the run in July, it is paramount to remember that in times of crisis, you and those whom you lead can never panic. Rather, you organize, strategize, and mobilize. You identify your problem, build a coalition, come to a consensus, and execute. Wash, rinse, and repeat. As my grandmother used to say (we called her Big Mama), “No weapon formed against us shall prosper.”

The measure of a society is how well it treats those most in need. That’s what nonprofits do. We fill in gaps where government and the for-profit markets fall short – and this administration chose to go after the most vulnerable. Not the Pentagon, where there is unified support on auditing its books, but rather Social Security or a non-profit that helps children with stuttering challenges. So let me state this clearly — adversity is not new to nonprofit arts organizations. We all know how to punch above our weight, and sometimes you have to punch a bully in the mouth.

CTH will not be silenced. We will be mindful, measured, and mission-driven with each key performance indicator related to culture, commerce, and community. We will keep singing, dancing, and acting with the hope of earning your support so we can all one day sing from the same sheet of music.

The power of the people is always stronger than the people in power.

Ty Jones is an OBIE Award and NAACP Award winner and the producing artistic director of the Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH).