Carla Hayden, the former Librarian of Congress fired by President Donald Trump, has joined the the country's foremost philanthropic supporter of the arts.

Reparations, Earl Lewis says, are not about the past.

A new fellowship co-sponsored by the Andrew W.

ANN ARBOR – The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s Just Futures Initiative has awarded the University of Michigan two $5 million grants. Led by professors Stephanie Fryberg and Earl Lewis, the grant money will be used over the next three years to fund projects that address racial inequity. Fryberg is a professor of psychology and a University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor. Lewis is the Thomas C. Holt Distinguished University Professor of History, Afroamerican and African Studies and Public Policy. In total, the Mellon Foundation awarded more then $72 million in grant funding for 16 arts, humanities and social sciences projects across the U.S.

FILE - In this Jan. 20, 2009, file photo, Elizabeth Alexander recites a poem during swearing-in ceremonies at the Capitol in Washington. Alexander is the president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which announced Monday, Oct. 5, 2020, it is spending $250 million on a five-year effort called the "Monuments Project" to reimagine monuments in public spaces. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, File)

Alexander is the president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which announced Monday, Oct. 5, 2020, it is spending $250 million on a five-year effort called the "Monuments Project" to reimagine monuments in public spaces. The effort to remove offensive monuments has gained new strength this year amid widespread protests focusing on racial injustice. But while the project is timely, Elizabeth Alexander, who heads the Mellon Foundation, said it's actually the culmination of years of work. She said the primary focus of the project isn't the relocating of monuments but instead on helping ensure greater representation of historically forgotten or underrepresented communities. They also plan to use about $1 million to open up Monument Lab field research offices in ten locations across the country.