Our country celebrates Black history this month, but Black history is an ever-present bedrock of who we are as a country. Where is that history? Everywhere! But I only had to look to any of the many humanities councils to learn what it is, how it is recorded, and whose stories it tells. With so many virtual programs going on this year, that meant with a good internet connection I had access to a treasure trove…
The 117th Congress Appropriations Committees – Subcommittees on Interior and the Environment
February 2021: The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have completed their organization for the 117th Congress with the Senate finalizing their subcommittees on February 12, 2021.
NHC 21: Call for Session Proposals
As we begin 2021, we are very much looking forward to this year’s National Humanities Conference, which will be held November 11-14, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. Of course, we are paying close attention to the CDC and WHO recommendations regarding COVID-19 and will adjust as necessary to ensure the health and well-being of attendees. In addition to the in-person event, we are currently planning a small number of virtual sessions in conjunction with the conference and opportunities to connect from afar. Read the official 2021 NHC Call for Proposals here. DL to submit proposals has been extended to April 19, 2021.
Black Roots: Everett Fly Delivers Frederick Law Olmsted Lecture at Harvard University
“Bit by bit, I was able to find enough documentation on thirty or forty Black communities, including Tuskegee, Alabama; Mound Bayou, Mississippi; Hobson City, Alabama; and Eatonville, Florida. I collected enough to submit a coherent paper and thought I had proved my point—that African Americans had even built towns,” Fly said. Read on to learn more about “American Cultural Landscapes: Black Roots and Treasures.”
Virtual Hill Visits – Preparing for Your Virtual Visit (Humanities on the Hill 2021)
With three (3) weeks remaining before Humanities on the Hill, this is the time to be preparing for your virtual Hill visits. Read on to learn how to prepare, how to prep your advocacy team, and what to do if you don’t know an answer to your legislator’s questions (hint: don’t panic).
‘Every Beat Will Fight for Me’: Black Alabamians and the Vote
In 1946, Alabamians voted to approve the Boswell Amendment—a law that required citizens to explain a section of the Constitution to the satisfaction of the registrar before they could be registered to vote. With no clear guidelines, it meant that each registrar could effectively choose who got to vote. Read more in here.
Virtual Hill Visits – Scheduling Your Virtual Visit (Humanities on the Hill 2021)
Now is the time to schedule your Humanities on the Hill virtual congressional visits for the first week of March. Need help? Check out this article and learn the who, what when, how, and why of setting up your virtual Hill visits. #HumHill21
Florida Humanities Navigates Sacred Waters
“When we think about stories, we think of this ‘Once upon a time…’ there’s a moral, a take-away, that tells us something larger about ourselves and about our environment,” Machado said in “Sacred Water: Exploring the Protection of Florida’s Fluid Landscapes,” a Florida Humanities virtual presentation recorded on October 14, 2020. Read more about Florida Humanities’ program and how the humanities can help us think about our environment.
Learning Early about Race with Colorado Humanities
Growing up, how many children’s books did you have with characters whose race was different from yours? How many conversations did you have with a grown-up about difference, white privilege, and prejudice? Learn about Colorado Humanities’ conversation “Talking to Children about Race” here.
Donuts Ask Big Questions Too: Humanities Washington’s Cabin Fever Kids
“His parents wanted him to accept who he was—a zombie,” the narrator says, “And zombies don’t eat veggies.” Afterward, you can turn back to the Cabin Fever Kids collection, where there are thoughtful questions for readers to ask about Mauricio’s dilemma, like “How are you different from or the same as your family?” Read about Humanities Washington’s “Cabin Fever Kids” program.
Building Community Relationships During a Pandemic: PHC’s Teen Reading Lounge
The core of Pennsylvania Humanities Council’s (PHC) award-winning, nontraditional book club, the Teen Reading Lounge (TRL), has always been relationships—between young adults, librarians, and communities who ask questions, share ideas, and develop together. So when schools and libraries closed earlier this year after the pandemic hit, relationships were still going to be at the heart of whatever way the program adapted. Read more.
Discover Your Poetic Creature – Poetry Quiz for the Holidays
Poetry unveils unexpected truths about who we are and what we’re doing in the world, showing us parts of ourselves that we didn’t see before. U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo says that “Without poetry, we lose our way,” and this quiz is here to help you find that inner-poetic-creature part of your path in the world.
