This week, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) shuttered the offices of National Endowment for the Humanities. DOGE terminated all agreements with state affiliates such as the Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC), terminated hundreds of contracts with scholars across the country, and placed nearly all NEH staff on administrative leave. If…
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The Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) staff, grant recipients, and many partner organizations would like to thank Dr. Shelly Lowe, outgoing Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), for her dedication and leadership. Since 2021, Dr. Lowe has led NEH in the administration of over $6 billion in grants…
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In response to questions about how threatened cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and how a possible federal government shutdown might impact MHC, let me share some information about our grant making process and grant administration work. MHC grantees can rest assured that their grant funding will…
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President Abraham Lincoln, in commemorating the lives lost during the Civil War, at the Gettysburg Address noted that the United States of America is a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” Lincoln’s repetition of “people” underscores that our democracy is made and maintained by its citizens.
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Partnering with Danger Boat Productions, we conceived the idea of hosting a humanities comedy tour in response to news of people in Minnesota feeling disconnected and unwilling to talk to their neighbors. As the disciplines of the humanities help us better understand ourselves, our neighbors, and our communities, what better…
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Whenever I hear the song “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge, in my mind, I see my mom in front of a park bench singing “I’ve got all my sisters with me” with her sisters in matching red t-shirts with their nicknames on their back at the annual Wells Family…
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Our nation, for far too long, has remained silent about open and notorious acts of racial violence experienced by African Americans. As a teenager reading, The Black Book edited by Middleton A. Harris and Toni Morrison, I became aware of the countless atrocities experienced by African Americans that were ignored…
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In the span of less than seven years, Minnesota has been the site of several high–profile incidents involving the use of deadly force against African American men by law enforcement.
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In celebration of Black History Month, the Minnesota Humanities Center has asked some of our friends to write essays to share with you their thoughts on black history and culture, as well as on broad issues of racial and social justice. Like a good conversation with friends after a good…
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At the dawn of the formation of our country, and even begrudgingly to this day, the existing political and social hierarchy of our nation has sought to deny and frustrate the inalienable rights of African Americans to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Since the video of the murder…
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