HNY WELCOMES THREE NEW BOARD MEMBERS Herman Bennett is Professor of History at the Graduate Center who has most recently published: African Kings & Black Slaves: Sovereignty and Dispossession in the Early Modern Atlantic (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019). His previous books include: Africans in Colonial Mexico: Absolutism, Christianity & Afro-Creole Consciousness, 1570-1640 (Indiana 2003) and Colonial Blackness: A History of Afro-Mexico (Indiana 2009). Since 2013 he has been the Executive Officer (EO) of the Educational Opportunity & Diversity Programs (OEODP) at the Graduate Center. As EO of the OEODP, Director of the CUNY Pipeline Program, and the Project […]
HNY Awards 31 Grants for Public Humanities Projects
Humanities New York (HNY) announced just under $150,000 in awards to 31 grantees for innovative public humanities offerings. Awards were made in every region of the state, from the North Country to Long Island. “We are proud to support the vital cultural infrastructure of New York” said Executive Director Sara Ogger. “Without these funds many communities wouldn’t have the opportunity to engage with their neighbors, to remember the past, and to grapple with their future.” Action Grants to community presenters enable New Yorkers to reflect on their values and engage with others in their communities. Grant recipients creatively use history, […]
Into the Rainforest with Community Conversations
Starting with one conversation on the environment, Mambo Tse has seen how Community Conversations can bring people together, and how those conversations can lead to other fruitful projects. From discussions on immigration and food insecurity came an idea for project exploring the community’s relationship to African history and how it impacts them today, which was funded by an HNY Action Grant. In this interview, Mambo shares how public humanities programming has helped her group engage with youth across New York City, in classrooms and afterschool programs, as well as the general public and elderly populations at senior centers discussing topics […]
“Where it’s at” – Barbershops of Newburgh
Weighty book discussions at the barbershop? In Newburgh, located just across the Hudson River from Beacon, Naomi Hersson-Ringskog and Gabrielle Hill brought HNY’s Reading & Discussion program to places where conversation already hums. Contextualizing current events, these conversations provided a opportunity for further community work. At times, these conversations led to other projects. In Newburgh, organizers look forward to the celebration of Frederick Douglass’ birthday bicentennial as an opportunity to deepen the ties they have started with these conversations. In December, 2018, Humanities New York spoke with Naomi and Gabrielle to learn more. HNY: How long have you lived in […]
Place and Story
By Rick Bass We are pleased to share the introductory essay for our newest Reading & Discussion theme: “Place and Story.” Humanities New York commissioned noted novelist, essayist, and environmentalist Rick Bass to curate a selection of texts that explore the manifold ways the American landscape influences our experiences and way of life. As with all R & D groups, the texts selected–which include fiction, nonfiction, and poetry–explore the theme from a variety of perspectives. We also ask our R & D Scholar-Advisors to pen an original essay contextualizing the selected readings. Below, in the “Place and Story” essay, Rick discusses each reading in the series within the […]
HNY Board & Staff News
SARAH G. CARNEY APPOINTED CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Sarah G. Carney will lead the organization’s Board of Directors as it enters a new phase of programming, which includes working with populations affected by mass incarceration, and the celebration of the centennial of the 19th Amendment (2020) and the fifty year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots (2019). HNY also continues its grant-making and direct programs that encourage in-person engagement with issues and challenges in our democratic society; all are available to tax-exempt entities in New York State. Sarah is the founder of Sarah G. Carney LLC. In nearly 28 […]
“There is No Texting at James Baldwin’s Table”
“James Baldwin’s America” continues to be one of the most popular and challenging discussion programs Humanities New York offer. Here, we check in with two of the discussion facilitators for the program as they recount how the program has changed their lives and the communities they have worked in. HNY: You talk in your essay about your initial encounter with Baldwin’s writing, and I’m wondering if there are any other experiences or history that you have reading Baldwin’s work, or moments that stand out to you that might have prompted your desire to share Baldwin with other people, or re-engage […]
Portable History: Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow
Museums continually test new ways to produce exhibits that are accessible to people beyond the doors of the institution. Sometimes exhibitions are extended through websites or phone apps, but digital approaches have their limits as well. With this new exhibit, the New-York Historical Society goes a step further, by producing a panel exhibition that presenters with even the smallest venues can download and publish. Touching on current events, the exhibition “Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow” explores the struggle for full citizenship and racial equality that unfolded in the 50 years after the Civil War. Humanities New York […]
Breaking Down Stereotypes at the Iroquois Indian Museum
Museums increasingly strive to provide exhibit content that is relevant and inclusive, presenting visitors with a range of perspectives and voices in order to spark reflection and dialogue. Many now offer thoughtful interpretation supported by collections and archives while allowing audiences to participate in the process of meaning-making. Given their unique position in the civic landscape, museums are well-equipped to help audiences navigate difficult histories and issues. This is apparent in a recent HNY grant-funded exhibition at the Iroquois Indian Museum, an anthropological museum located in the Mohawk Valley less than an hour west of Albany. The Museum’s current exhibit, […]
Virtual Reality Immerses Visitors at Albany History Fair 2018
Participatory experiences top the list of expectations for today’s visitors to historic house museums and other cultural institutions, which presents both challenges and opportunities for the field. One new avenue for audience engagement is the incorporation of Virtual Reality (VR) technology. Humanities New York spoke with Deborah Emmons-Andarawis, Acting Director of Historic Cherry Hill, and Krysta Dennis and Michael Lounello from Siena College’s Creative Arts Department to discuss the debut of VR at the Albany History Fair in May 2018. Historic Cherry Hill and the college’s Creative Arts Department laid the groundwork for this VR experiment through last year’s celebration […]
