Detroit and Los Angeles Selected as Sites for 2021 and 2022 National Humanities Conferences

We are pleased to announce that the Federation board of directors and the National Humanities Alliance have accepted two bids to host the 2021 and 2022 National Humanities Conferences. In 2021, Michigan Humanities Council will host the conference in Detroit, MI. According to the proposal, Detroit, a city on the rise and in the process of reinventing itself, is an exciting mix of architecture, history, diversity, industry, and music, and is easily accessible due to its central geographic location and to its being the largest hub for Delta Airlines.

In 2022, California Humanities will host the 2022 conference in Los Angeles, CA. According to the proposal, Los Angeles, the largest city in California and the second-largest in the country after New York City, offers perspectives on economic growth in major industries: technology, agriculture, aerospace, tourism, and entertainment, and is rich in diversity: the Migration Policy Institute rates California as having the largest number of immigrants in 2014 and the state is often cited as the most ethnically diverse state in America. In addition, although California is more urbanized than the US in general, its geography also features significant rural land masses and communities.

“These cities have incredible stories that they are telling,” says Esther Mackintosh, president of the Federation of State Humanities Councils. “The National Humanities Conference presents an opportunity to shine a national light on these stories, engage humanists from all over the country with the diverse peoples and communities shaping these cities, and explore subjects unique to each city and surrounding regions.”

The themes for both conferences will be developed in advance of the Call for Session Proposals. Typically, the call for proposals is distributed a year prior to the upcoming conference. We encourage you to stay informed of upcoming conference and other Federation activities through subscribing to the Federation Update (connect@statehumanities.org) and following us on social media at @HumFed.

For specific conference inquiries, please contact us at events@statehumanities.org.