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$200K for humanities projects in 2023

Birmingham / September 1, 2023  — Through the first half of 2023, the Alabama Humanities Alliance has awarded 29 grants, contributing $206,996 in funding to humanities-rich public projects. Grantee programs cover the state — from a Kudzu Soliloquy series of conversations at Dothan’s Wiregrass Museum of Art to an exploration of Asian American culture at the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library (youth panel pictured above).

Through June 2023, AHA’s statewide support includes: 12 Mini Grants (up to $2,500 each); 11 Major Grants (up to $10,000 each); and 6 Media Grants (up to $15,000).

Meet AHA’s newest grantees, awarded January-June 2023. 

The Alabama Humanities Alliance is the primary source of grants for public humanities projects in the state. AHA offers monthly Mini Grants; quarterly Major Grants; and annual Media Grants for documentaries, podcasts, and other digital projects.

In 2022, AHA awarded 51 grants in total, contributing $301,320 for humanities-rich public programming statewide. Those projects — steeped in history, literature, civics, culture, and more — reached nearly 214,000 Alabamians. Programming included festivals, book talks, teacher workshops, oral history projects, storytelling events, art panels, podcast series, and much more.

Support for AHA’s grants comes from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Learn more about current offerings and guidelines: alabamahumanities.org/grants.

Remaining grant deadlines for 2023 include:

 

About the Alabama Humanities Alliance
Founded in 1974, the nonprofit Alabama Humanities Alliance serves as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Through our grantmaking and public programming, we connect Alabamians to impactful storytelling, lifelong learning, and civic engagement. We believe the humanities can bring our communities together and help us all see each other as fully human. Learn more at alabamahumanities.org.

2023 Alabama Humanities Fellows announced

BIRMINGHAM / August 16, 2023 — A pair of Alabama natives, widely acclaimed for their insights into American history and democracy, will return home this fall to be celebrated as 2023 Alabama Humanities Fellows.

On October 23, the Alabama Humanities Alliance (AHA) will honor Imani Perry, Ph.D., and David Mathews, Ph.D., at the Alabama Colloquium, presented by Regions. The highlight of the event will feature CNN anchor and Prattville native Kaitlan Collins in a wide-ranging conversation with the honorees. The conversation will explore how examining our past can offer healing and strength for Alabama’s communities today.

The Alabama Colloquium annually offers a chance to celebrate the humanities’ impact in Alabama, honor individuals who use the humanities to make our state and nation a better place to live, and raise funds to support AHA’s statewide programming.

Following the event, AHA will offer a limited-capacity listening tour of Wallace House, in Shelby County. Built in 1841, the Wallace House was once part of a 5,000-acre cotton plantation, which was worked by nearly 100 enslaved people. Today, descendants of the home’s White landowners and enslaved Black population work together to examine their shared history and create a space for mutual understanding and reconciliation.

 

EVENT DETAILS

 

ABOUT THE HONOREES
Imani Perry, a Birmingham native, is a scholar of law, literature, history, and cultural studies, as well as a creative nonfiction author. In 2022, she won the National Book Award for Nonfiction for South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation.

Perry has written five other books, including Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry, which won the 2019 PEN Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography, and May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem, winner of the 2019 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for Nonfiction.

Perry is a professor in the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences and at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute, one of the world’s leading centers for interdisciplinary exploration. She has bachelor’s degrees from Yale in American studies and literature, along with two terminal degrees from Harvard — a J.D. and a Ph.D. in the History of American Civilization. Outside of academia, Perry is a contributing writer for The Atlantic, where she pens a weekly newsletter that frequently reckons with the past, “Unsettled Territory.”

David Mathews, a Grove Hill native, has dedicated his life to building community and promoting democracy. Mathews earned an undergraduate degree in history from the University of Alabama and a Ph.D. in history from Columbia University. Returning to UA, Mathews both taught history and made it. He served as a history professor from 1965-1980, became the youngest president of a major university when he began his UA tenure at age 33, and presided over the integration of the Crimson Tide’s football program under Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.

Mathews also served as U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in President Gerald Ford’s administration, where he worked on restoring public confidence in government. And he spent four decades as president and CEO of the Kettering Foundation, focusing the nonprofit’s work on engaging citizens in the democratic process.

Mathews’ legacy is evidenced in Alabama at the David Mathews Center for Civic Life, which seeks to strengthen civic engagement statewide.

 

ABOUT THE MODERATOR
Kaitlan Collins, a Prattville native, is a journalist and anchor of CNN’s primetime show, “The Source with Kaitlan Collins.” Previously, Collins was co-anchor and chief correspondent of “CNN This Morning.” Prior to that, she served as CNN’s chief White House correspondent, based in Washington, D.C.

Collins earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and political science from the University of Alabama.

 

About the Alabama Humanities Alliance
Founded in 1974, the nonprofit Alabama Humanities Alliance serves as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. AHA promotes impactful storytelling, lifelong learning and civic engagement. We provide Alabamians with opportunities to connect with our shared cultures and to see each other as fully human. Through our grantmaking, we help scholars, communities and cultural nonprofits create humanities-rich projects that are accessible to all Alabamians — from literary festivals and documentary films to museum exhibitions and research collections. Learn more at alabamahumanities.org.

New learning series for Alabama educators

This Huntsville workshop is one of nine AHA is offering to educators statewide in ’23-’24.

 

BIRMINGHAM / July 6, 2023 — The Alabama Humanities Alliance announces its 2023-2024 SUPER Teacher workshop schedule. The workshops will occur across Alabama, starting on July 11, 2023, and ending on April 27, 2024. Educators seeking to gain new information and perspective on Alabama topics will receive professional development credit after diving deep into curriculum-relevant topics through directed readings, critical discussions, film viewings, lectures, writing exercises, field trips, and cultural experiences.

SUPER Teacher workshops provide a collaborative forum in which educators (in grades 4-12) can exchange ideas, gain fresh perspectives, and learn new approaches to teaching. Participants develop a multidisciplinary approach to the humanities and enjoy many significant benefits, including stipends and Continuing Education credits — all at no cost to them or their schools.

“Educators statewide and for decades have appreciated SUPER workshops for their focus on rich and relevant stories — stories that inspire new ways of teaching and learning for work and life,” says Laura Anderson, AHA director of partnerships and outcomes. “We aim for this series of topics and partnerships to serve not only teachers and students, but also communities.” 

 

AHA’s 2023-2024 SUPER Teacher workshop series:

Turning Points in History: People, Ideas, Events
July 11-12, 2023
Birmingham
This workshop will help educators explore potential learning opportunities they can present to students participating in Alabama History Day. The 2024 National History Day theme allows participants to explore and examine Alabama history that proved to be turning points in history, such as Birmingham’s civil rights sites. Lead scholar: Debbie Hester, Alabama History Day Teacher Ambassador.

*There are no remaining slots available for this workshop. 

 

African American Folklife in Alabama
September 7, 2023
Montgomery
Presented in partnership with the Alabama Folklife Association, this workshop will provide scholar-led presentations on Black cemeteries, folktales of religious conversion, and how to incorporate enslaved person narratives into the classroom. Lead scholars: Shari L. Williams, Ph.D., executive director of the Ridge Macon County Archeology; Trudier Harris, Ph.D., distinguished research professor of the department of English at the University of Alabama; and Alan Brown, Ph.D., professor of English at the University of West Alabama.

 

Crossroads: Change in Rural Alabama
September 22, 2023
Cleveland
This workshop will provide expert-led documentation and celebration of rural Alabama communities over time and inspire consideration of the future. A guided tour of the Smithsonian traveling exhibit of the same name will be part of the experience. Lead scholars: Tina Mozelle Braziel, Ph.D., director of the Ada Long Creative Writing Workshop at UAB; Allison Upshaw, Ph.D., assistant professor of music at Stillman College; and Julia Brock, Ph.D., assistant professor of history at the University of Alabama.

 

Birmingham’s Early Middle Eastern Community
September 30, 2023
Birmingham
In this workshop participants will answer the question, “Who were early immigrants to Birmingham from the Middle East?” by exploring a similarly themed exhibit currently on display at Vulcan Park and Museum and hearing from descendants of some of the area’s early immigrant families. Lead scholar: Annie DeVries, Ph.D., associate professor of history at Samford University.

NOTE: This workshop is designed for, and open to, the general public, as well as educators.

 

Yaa Gyasi, Homegoing, and the Power of Knowing Our Roots
2023-2024
Huntsville/Birmingham/Columbiana/Livingston/Mobile
This series of half-day workshops is based on the award-winning novel, Homegoing, by author Yaa Gyasi, a Ghanian American who grew up in Huntsville. Special guest speakers will be featured at each stop on the five-city schedule, with the series led by Zanice Bond, Ph.D., professor of English at Tuskegee University.

NOTE: This workshop is designed for, and open to, the general public, as well as educators.

 

Educators interested in attending AHA’s SUPER Teacher workshops can find links to application forms at alabamahumanities.org/super-teacher.

For questions or to learn more, contact Laura C. Anderson at [email protected].

 

About the Alabama Humanities Alliance
Founded in 1974, the nonprofit Alabama Humanities Alliance serves as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. AHA promotes impactful storytelling, lifelong learning and civic engagement. We provide Alabamians with opportunities to connect with our shared cultures and to see each other as fully human. Through our grantmaking, we help scholars, communities and cultural nonprofits create humanities-rich projects that are accessible to all Alabamians — from literary festivals and documentary films to museum exhibitions and research collections. Learn more at alabamahumanities.org.

 

Alabama History Day winners head to nation’s capital

BIRMINGHAM / JUNE 7, 2023 — This month, 27 Alabama students and educators will travel to Maryland and Washington, D.C., to compete at National History Day. The NHD competition, set for June 11-15, enables students in grades 6-12 to conduct high-level research on a topic of their choice and present their studies in creative ways. The presentations include papers, exhibits, performances, documentaries, or websites. NHD winners can qualify for scholarships and some may even have their work displayed at the Smithsonian.

Who are these students representing Alabama in our nation’s capital?

Back in March, nearly 200 students from across Alabama gathered at Auburn University in Montgomery to compete in Alabama History Day, the statewide contest organized by the Alabama Humanities Alliance. More than 40 participating students won first- or second-place honors in their category to qualify for National History Day.

More than a single day, AHA’s History Day program offers year-long benefits. The program provides teachers with a dynamic project-based learning tool that can be built into their history curriculum. Teachers can also attend ongoing History Day training workshops and students can join in summer enrichment opportunities.

Even in the height of the pandemic, Alabama History Day still provided space for young scholars to develop. In 2022, 28 students won awards in a virtual statewide contest. In 2023, that number increased to 63 students who were awarded first, second, or third place. AHA’s History Day continues to set the stage for youth to grow beyond their current understanding of themselves and the world around them.

“Research helps you better connect to the world and your community,” says Idrissa Snider, Ph.D., program coordinator for Alabama History Day. “And it helps you learn more about yourself. When our students have these ‘aha moments,’ they’re building their confidence as learners, too.”

Indeed, History Day gives students preparation academically and interpersonally so that they can thrive as students, and eventually as professionals. “Whether a child wants to be a rocket scientist, teacher, or truck driver, they have to sit down and interview,” Snider says. “They must look confidently in the eyes of someone else and speak. The sooner kids start being able to speak in front of others, they become more prepared for the real world.”

For some students, National History Day marks the first time they’ll travel beyond their hometowns and earn recognition for their work. And several have already scored big honors in the nation’s capital:

“History Day illustrates how important it is to have young people from around the state, from all types of backgrounds, coming together in a space and putting their unique interests out there,” Sniders says. “We can learn to have different opinions, outlets, perspectives, or whatever the case may be. And we can respect others’ opinions and thoughts.”

 

Learn more about the impact of Alabama History Day by viewing our film Welcome to History Day. If you or someone you know would like to bring AHD to your school contact Idrissa N. Snider, Ph.D., at [email protected].

Poet and storyteller Tania De’Shawn Russell joins AHA staff

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. / May 9, 2023 — Tania De’Shawn Russell has joined the staff of the Alabama Humanities Alliance, where she’ll serve as the statewide nonprofit’s outreach and social media coordinator. Russell will help expand AHA’s reach, connect more Alabamians to the humanities, and highlight how the humanities can make Alabama a smarter, kinder, more vibrant place to live.

Russell is a Birmingham native and a graduate of Berea College in Kentucky. She has extensive social media and digital marketing experience, as well as a passion for how storytelling can transform lives and restore agency to marginalized communities. As a poet and teaching artist, Russell has been featured at the Magic City Poetry Festival, Birmingham Children’s Theatre, and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. She has also served as a teaching assistant for PEN America’s Birmingham chapter, and as the artist in residence at The Flourish, Alabama.

“We all have gems of unsaid, unwritten, and sometimes undervalued stories to share,” Russell says. “No matter how silly, ordinary, or heavy, they all build different points of connection to people we may never meet. I am humbled to be a part of a community at AHA that fearlessly shares the stories so many would want us to forget. My love for storytelling continues to grow as I see the change so many of our scholars make by speaking about their firsthand experiences and latest research. I aim to ensure our entire community feels seen, supported, and valued.”

Earlier this year, the Magic City Poetry Festival named Russell its 2023 Eco-Poetry Fellow, an award that celebrates the intersections between poetry and the environment. As part of her fellowship, Russell will partner with the Birmingham Public Library to produce poetry events that uplift and enlighten the Birmingham community.

Russell’s partnership with the Birmingham Public Library isn’t new. In 2022, the Friends of the Birmingham Public Library received an Alabama Public Humanities Grant from AHA to present an event based on Russell’s first book, be gentle with black girls: addressing adultification bias and protecting black childhood. The evening included an author reading by Russell and a panel discussion centered around Black girls’ lived experiences.

“We talk a lot at AHA about how the humanities can provide context, cultivate empathy, and really help Alabamians see each other as fully human,” says Phillip Jordan, communications director at the Alabama Humanities Alliance. “Tania embodies those values to her core. She is committed to making the humanities accessible to all and to helping everyone realize that we’re all storytellers who can learn from each other. I’m thrilled that she’s joining us and will help us keep growing AHA’s diverse community of lifelong learners statewide.”

To connect with the Alabama Humanities Alliance, visit alabamahumanities.org, and join AHA’s virtual community on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

 

About the Alabama Humanities Alliance
Founded in 1974, the nonprofit Alabama Humanities Alliance serves as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. AHA promotes impactful storytelling, lifelong learning, and civic engagement. We provide Alabamians with opportunities to connect with our shared cultures and to see each other as fully human. Through our grantmaking, we help scholars, communities, and cultural nonprofits create humanities-rich projects that are accessible to all Alabamians — from literary festivals and documentary films to museum exhibitions and research collections. Learn more at alabamahumanities.org.

Ed Mizzell named chair of Alabama Humanities Alliance

BIRMINGHAM / February 6, 2023 — The board of directors of the Alabama Humanities Alliance has named Ed Mizzell as its new chair. Mizzell, a longtime executive at Birmingham’s Luckie & Co., officially began his term on January 1.

Mizzell’s appointment comes as the Alabama Humanities Alliance looks toward its 50th anniversary in 2024. As a nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, AHA offers public programs and grant opportunities that support impactful storytelling, lifelong learning, and civic engagement statewide.

“It’s an honor and a joy to support the work of the Alabama Humanities Alliance,” Mizzell says. “The humanities do all those things that help us learn more about our past, explore our different cultures, and get to know our neighbors better. And AHA is all about using the humanities to uplift our state and bring Alabamians together.”

Mizzell knows Alabama well. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Auburn University and his MBA at Samford University. In 1981, he joined Luckie & Co., the Birmingham-based marketing solutions firm. Today, he serves as Luckie’s EVP managing director and as a member of its board of directors. Mizzell also recently served as project director for The Official United States Civil Rights Trail: What Happened Here Changed the World. The book, published in 2021 and supported by the Alabama Tourism Department, takes readers on a journey through some of the most important sites of the civil rights movement.

“We’re so fortunate to have Ed’s leadership and experience,” says Chuck Holmes, executive director of the Alabama Humanities Alliance. “His enthusiasm for our work is infectious and his guidance will be crucial as we approach our 50th anniversary next year.”

 

Grantmaking has been a constant for AHA during its first half-century. Each year, the organization offers a variety of public humanities grants that help fund everything from literary festivals and special exhibits to documentaries, oral history projects, and more. In 2022, AHA awarded more than $300,000 in funding statewide.

The Alabama Humanities Alliance also regularly brings traveling Smithsonian exhibitions to the state. Beginning this fall, Crossroads will appear in five Alabama towns, exploring how rural America — and rural Alabama — has transformed over the past century.

Also, this fall, AHA will present its annual Alabama Colloquium, a public event honoring its newest Alabama Humanities Fellows — individuals who use the humanities to make Alabama a smarter, kinder, more vibrant place to live. In 2022, AHA honored Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, and the late Rep. John Lewis.

Among its other work, AHA offers ongoing teacher workshops and teacher scholarships; produces podcast series on democracy and history; and offers a Road Scholars speakers bureau that includes more than 30 scholar-storytellers who speak in communities across the state.

AHA’s board leadership now includes:

 

About the Alabama Humanities Alliance
Founded in 1974, the nonprofit Alabama Humanities Alliance serves as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. AHA promotes impactful storytelling, lifelong learning and civic engagement. We provide Alabamians with opportunities to connect with our shared cultures and to see each other as fully human. Through our grantmaking, we help scholars, communities and cultural nonprofits create humanities-rich projects that are accessible to all Alabamians — from literary festivals and documentary films to museum exhibitions and research collections. Learn more at alabamahumanities.org.

Snider named Alabama History Day coordinator

December 7, 2022 / Birmingham, Ala. — Idrissa N. Snider, Ph.D., has joined the Alabama Humanities Alliance as program coordinator for Alabama History Day, one of the statewide nonprofit’s cornerstone programs.

Alabama History Day, a state-level affiliate of National History Day, gives middle school and high school students a creative and dynamic way to engage with history. Students learn to do primary research and then become authors, filmmakers, web developers, playwrights, and artists to creatively present their findings. History Day also serves as a dynamic project-learning tool for Alabama educators and as a source of camaraderie for classrooms and schools.

“Serving in this capacity is a privilege and an honor,” Snider says, “because I know firsthand how important it is for the youth in our state to learn about their history and the history of others. What makes the History Day program vital to our community is that it encourages students and educators alike to explore the world around them in creative and meaningful ways.”

Snider is a writer, educator, communicator and DEI trainer. She earned her doctoral degree at Wayne State University in Detroit, Mich., and a Master of Arts degree from UAB in Communications Management. She received her bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University in Film and Journalism. Snider has more than 20 years of experience of working with youth and advocacy groups.

Her scholarly interests focus on rhetorical criticism and womanist studies, and she has taught several African American studies and communications-themed courses at colleges throughout the state, including UAB. Snider also served as a visiting assistant professor at Samford University.

“This is an important hire for us because History Day is far more than a single day,” says Chuck Holmes, executive director of the Alabama Humanities Alliance. “It is a yearlong process that helps teachers and mentors bring history to life for students, and teaches our young people how to be effective researchers and storytellers.

“With her experience and expertise, Idrissa will extend the reach of History Day across the state and build relationships to broaden and diversify participation in this vital program.”

Registration is now open for Alabama History Day 2023, set for March 3, 2023, at Auburn University at Montgomery. This year’s theme is “Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas.” Individual and group winners in each contest category will be eligible to advance to National History Day next June in Washington, D.C., and College Park, Maryland.

To learn more about Alabama History Day, visit alabamahumanities.org/alabama-history-day.

 

About the Alabama Humanities Alliance
Founded in 1974, the nonprofit Alabama Humanities Alliance serves as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. AHA promotes impactful storytelling, lifelong learning and civic engagement. We provide Alabamians with opportunities to connect with our shared cultures and to see each other as fully human. Through our grantmaking, we help scholars, communities and cultural nonprofits create humanities-rich projects that are accessible to all Alabamians — from literary festivals and documentary films to museum exhibitions and research collections. Learn more at alabamahumanities.org.

Four Alabama teachers named Riley Scholars

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. / Nov. 21, 2022 — The Alabama Humanities Alliance has announced four recipients of its 2022 Jenice Riley Memorial Scholarship. Winners receive a $1,000 scholarship to support creative classroom projects that enhance students’ understanding of history and civics.

Since 2003, the Alabama Humanities Alliance has named 101 Riley Scholars and funded more than $100,000 in teacher scholarships. These competitive scholarships are named in memory of Jenice Riley — daughter of former Alabama governor and first lady Bob and Patsy Riley — and they recognize K-8 educators who share Jenice’s passion for teaching and extraordinary commitment to enhancing the quality of education in Alabama.

 

This year’s winners are:

Adriana Shirley, Blossomwood Elementary (Huntsville)
Project: Alabama the Beautiful (4th Grade)
Through this project, students will get a hands-on opportunity to explore communities beyond their own. After conducting research on different counties across Alabama, students will create 3-D “suitcases” that will include information and artifacts relevant to their respective counties. Students will then then take their school community and local leaders on a virtual “road trip like no other” to showcase what they’ve learned.

 

Sharon Neal, Prince of Peace Catholic (Hoover)
Project: All About Alabama (4th Grade)
Each year, students in Neal’s class research famous Alabamians and dress up as “wax versions” of their historical subjects to present their findings. To expand students’ research opportunities, this scholarship will enable the purchase of new books about Alabama’s people, landscape, and history. It will also allow Neal to acquire additional teacher resources to enhance the school’s fourth grade history curriculum.

 

Melissa Motes, Barton Academy for Advanced World Studies (Mobile)
Project: Student Historians Becoming Local Documentary Producers (8th Grade)
This project will equip students with the tools they need to translate their historical research into short documentaries. Films will focus on either the history of indigenous communities in Mobile or the history of Barton as a school. Students will become historians and storytellers as they explore the impact of immigrant groups and the importance of local archaeological sites.

 

Willie Davis III, Charles F. Hard Elementary (Bessemer)
Project: Let’s Explore the World Together (Kindergarten)
The purpose of this project is to introduce students to a diversity of cultures they likely haven’t experienced before. Students will learn about different countries, ways of life, celebrations, and traditions through discussion, literature, international cuisine, and other humanities-rich tools. The goal is to put students on the path to becoming global, well-informed, and empathetic citizens.

 

Next year’s Riley scholarship competition will open in Spring 2023. For more information about the Jenice Riley Memorial Scholarship, visit alabamahumanities.org/program/jeniceriley-memorial-scholarship.

 

About the Alabama Humanities Alliance
Founded in 1974, the nonprofit Alabama Humanities Alliance serves as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. AHA promotes impactful storytelling, lifelong learning and civic engagement. We provide Alabamians with opportunities to connect with our shared cultures and to see each other as fully human. Through our grantmaking, we help scholars, communities and cultural nonprofits create humanities-rich projects that are accessible to all Alabamians — from literary festivals and documentary films to museum exhibitions and research collections. Learn more at alabamahumanities.org.

Governor Ivey proclaims October Arts & Humanities Month in Alabama

Governor Kay Ivey has declared October 2022 as Arts and Humanities Month for the state of Alabama. The official proclamation recognized that “Alabama has been home to notable and influential artists from multiple disciplines that have enriched our culture both statewide and nationally, and has also been home to countless scholars and humanists who use the humanities to bring Alabamians together and to make Alabama a more vibrant place to live.”

Read the Governor’s Proclamation here.

Alabama’s designation of Arts and Humanities Month in October corresponds with the National Proclamation issued last month in celebration of the significance of the arts, humanities, and museum and library services to our nation. The National Proclamation included the announcement of a new Executive Order which seeks to integrate arts, humanities, and museum and library services into policies, programs and partnerships throughout the federal government.

“For centuries, American arts and humanities have been a beacon of light and understanding, recording our history and advancing new ways of thinking,” President Biden noted in his proclamation. “This National Arts and Humanities Month, we celebrate our Nation’s visionary artists, scholars, and creators whose work touches and reveals the soul of America.”

The annual celebration of Arts and Humanities Month encourages participation in the arts and humanities at all levels by individuals, organizations and governments. Here in Alabama, a pair of statewide organizations highlight the role the arts and humanities play in Alabamians’ everyday lives and in making our state a more vibrant place to live.

The Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA) is the official state agency for the arts in Alabama and enhances the quality of life and economic vitality for all Alabamians by providing support for the state’s diverse and rich artistic resources. The Alabama Humanities Alliance (AHA) promotes impactful storytelling, lifelong learning and civic engagement through its statewide public programming and grantmaking. ASCA is a state partner of the National Endowment for the Arts, while AHA is a nonprofit state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

TOP PHOTO: Governor Ivey signed the official Arts and Humanities Month proclamation with Chuck Holmes (left), executive director of the Alabama Humanities Alliance, and Elliot Knight (right), executive director of the Alabama State Council on the Arts. 

National Arts and Humanities Month is coordinated by Americans for the Arts, the national organization working to empower communities with the resources and support necessary to provide access to the arts for everyone. More information is available at AmericansForTheArts.org/nahm.

Exploring the leadership of Fred Shuttlesworth, 100 years after his birth

BIRMINGHAM / October 6, 2022 — Fred Shuttlesworth was the fulcrum of the civil rights movement in Birmingham — and a frequent target of the Ku Klux Klan for his freedom fighting. On Saturday, October 15, dozens of Alabama educators will join in a public workshop that reexamines Shuttlesworth’s authentic, action-driven style of leadership.

“Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth: Actionist for Justice” is a SUPER Teacher workshop presented by the Alabama Humanities Alliance, in partnership with Alabama Public Television. Participants will also get a sneak peek of the new APT documentary, Shuttlesworth, which debuts this December — 100 years after the civil rights icon’s birth.

This Birmingham workshop is open to the media. Registration required.

When: October 15, 2022 | 9 a.m.-noon
Where: Bethel Baptist Church | Birmingham
What: Half-day workshop for Alabama educators
Website: alabamahumanities.org/program/super-teacher

The lead scholar and presenter for this event is David Holmes, Ph.D., dean of Liberal Arts & Sciences at Lipscomb University. Dr. Holmes has authored books and articles about African American language and literature, sermons and speeches of the civil rights movement, and the prophetic legacy of such speeches and the pastors and laypersons who delivered them.

Participating teachers will earn continuing education credits, a $50 stipend and copies of A Fire You Can’t Put Out: The Civil Rights Life of Birmingham’s Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth by Andrew Manis, and Where the Sacred and Secular Harmonize: Birmingham Mass Meeting Rhetoric and the Prophetic Legacy of the Civil Rights Movement by David Holmes.

AHA’s SUPER Teacher program offers workshops throughout the state each year that help educators become more knowledgeable, confident, and effective teachers in the classroom.
Learn more: alabamahumanities.org/program/super-teacher.

 

About the Alabama Humanities Alliance
Founded in 1974, the nonprofit Alabama Humanities Alliance serves as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. AHA promotes impactful storytelling, lifelong learning and civic engagement. We provide Alabamians with opportunities to connect with our shared cultures and to see each other as fully human. Through our grantmaking, we help scholars, communities and cultural nonprofits create humanities-rich projects that are accessible to all Alabamians — from literary festivals and documentary films to museum exhibitions and research collections. Learn more at alabamahumanities.org.

About Alabama Public Television
Alabama Public Television is a state network of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). We’re committed to enriching the lives of Alabamians through programming that educates and entertains the citizenry and by providing high-quality instructional content for schools statewide. APT also acts as Alabama’s storyteller, presenting the state’s unique heritage and cultural contributions while traveling the road taken through history on the journey to becoming the Alabama of today. Learn more at aptv.org.