Our Blog

National Arts & Humanities Month

October 7, 2025 - By Kevin Lindsey

When Congress created the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in 1965, America was in a moment of great change. We were in the midst of a cold war on the world stage, the advance of computer technology, the space race was pushing human imagination beyond the earth, and the Civil Rights Movement was fueling debates about justice, identity, and freedom in classrooms and living rooms throughout the nation and world.

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CEO Insights on Federal Funding

September 5, 2025 - By Kevin Lindsey

This week was unseasonably cold and wet in the Twin Cities, and I found myself suddenly wondering where I had stored my warm comfortable sweaters. Despite my protests to the contrary, it was undeniably clear that summer was ending, the seasons were changing, and fall was coming to Minnesota. Despite…

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“Rhythm and Revolution”: The America at 250 Poetry Project by Alayne Hopkins

September 5, 2025 - By Alayne Hopkins

Our country is approaching a significant milestone: the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Along with libraries, humanities, and historical organizations across the country, The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library has been thinking about what this anniversary means to our community today. In March 2024, the Minnesota…

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The Somali Bilingual Book Project

August 28, 2025 - By Leslie Carnegie-Hilde

The Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) generously donated copies of the book “Travels of Igal Shidad” to Minnesota Hands & Voices for an event hosted for families with children who are deaf or are hard of hearing (DHH). “Travels of Igal Shidad” is one of four traditional Somali folktales in MHC’s…

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A Busy CEO’s August Update

August 12, 2025 - By Kevin Lindsey

August has been unusually hot this year, to the point that the impact of “corn sweat” on humidity levels in Minnesota has been discussed on the porch and backyard on more than one occasion. The heat has given me the opportunity to catch up on good conversations, experiment with making…

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Launching the Native American Lives Series

July 30, 2025 - By Jessica Engelking

I can’t believe it’s been five years. When asked to reflect on my experience writing the first iteration of “Peggy Flanagan: Lieutenant Governor,” and my thoughts about its newest form, I realized it had been a half decade since this creation took life. Time seems to go by a lot faster the older you get.

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CEO Summer Update

July 2, 2025 - By Kevin Lindsey

Summer has arrived in Minnesota and like most of you, we are attempting to make the most of the warm weather by keeping ourselves busy.

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Great American Think-Off

July 1, 2025 - By Jay Sieling

Since 1993, the small town of New York Mills has held “The Great American Think-off” (GATO). It is an annual philosophy essay contest and debate. I have been aware of it’s existence since thestart. I was amused that one of the early finalists thought they’d won a trip to New…

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“alternative routes” – a celebration of queer southeast Asian creativity and curiosity, curated by the Paper Lantern Project

June 5, 2025 - By Rae Rowe

2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Southeast Asian settling in Minnesota, making it home. It also marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the Wars in Southeast Asia. The 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War or the American War in Vietnam. It’s also the Year of The Snake—a year of transformation.

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State and Federal Funding Update

June 4, 2025 - By Kevin Lindsey

I want to extend a sincere thank you to all who have reached out to ask me how things are going at the Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC), considering the recent decision of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to terminate the contract between MHC and NEH.

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