Page 11 - LRCC FOCUS September 2024

lansingchamber.org MEMBER NEWS

Michigan Humanities

Celebrate 50 Years

F ive decades in, Michigan Humanities is still working to

tell the unique stories of people who live in the state.

To commemorate its 50th anniversary, the
humanities council has provided $25,000 in grant funding
to each of five projects that highlight underrepresented Yoshi Michels
populations:

The Michigan Humanities team accepted a special tribute from
• The Chaldean Community Foundation’s “Chaldean Senator Ed McBroom for the council’s 50th anniversary.
Story,” which uses published stories, podcast interviews,
videos, public forums, and performances to talk about
Chaldean’s personal journeys; provide communities and individuals and organizations
• The Historical Society of Greater Lansing’s “Origin to foster healthy civil discourse and promote a healthy
Stories,” oral history video stories and artifacts of democracy,” Rupp said.
Lansing residents;
• The Museum of Ojibwa Culture’s Also as part of its 2024 celebration,
“Tribal Youth, Our Future for Cultural Michigan Humanities is hosting two
Preservation,” which includes seven events this fall. At 7 p.m. on Sept. 12 at the
traveling exhibits on Native American Northern Center on Northern Michigan
boarding schools; University’s campus in Marquette, the
• The Underground Railroad Society of council is hosting “Bridging Michigan:
Cass County’s film “Documentary: The Building Understanding Through
Underground Railroad and Its Legacy Poetry.” Dr. Shawnrece Campbell, the
in Cass County, Michigan”; newly appointed assistant vice president
• And Wayne State University’s “MI of diversity and inclusion at NMU, will
Native Stories,” an effort to collect 10 moderate a conversation between
Anishinaabe oral histories about 20th- Michigan’s poet laureate Nandi Comer
century indigenous Michigan. and Upper Peninsula’s poet laureate
Beverly Matherne.
The grant opportunity attracted more than 60 applications
from across the state, according to Jennifer Rupp, “We’ll have an entire evening dedicated to talking about
president and CEO of Michigan Humanities. how we can use poetry to build mutual understanding in
our communities,” Rupp said.
“We wanted to uplift cultures and individuals or
communities that people in Michigan just may not The second event will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 24 at
know about but yet are such a big thread in the fabric of the Pasant Theatre at the Wharton Center for Performing
Michigan,” Rupp said. Arts in East Lansing. The “Great Michigan Read Author
Reunion” will include Great Michigan Read authors Beth
The Michigan Humanities Council, the state affiliate of the Nguyen, Kevin Boyle, Steve Luxenberg, Kekla Magoon, Dr.
National Endowment for the Humanities, began in 1974 Mona Hanna, Mary Doria Russell, and Angeline Boulley.
to offer humanities programming and grant-making. The Moderator Bill Castanier will lead a discussion on how
council aims to explore and celebrate the stories, history, literature is critical to building empathy and understanding.
and cultures of the diverse people of Michigan through
conversations and creative outlets like literature, film, The events are open to the public and free to attend.
and art. With just seven staff members, the organization
supports more than 500 partner organizations annually “The more we know about someone’s history and journey,
across the state. the more we’re going to be able to understand their
perspective and respect their viewpoints and their values,”
Rupp said the current cultural climate benefits from said Rupp. “As a statewide organization, we really feel that
opportunities for people to talk and share face-to-face it’s our responsibility to model that and to offer resources
versus anonymously online. that allow people to develop the skills and maybe even
the desire to seek out that mutual understanding and be
“We really concentrate on what resources and tools we can empathetic to the people who are in their communities.” l

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