Today in the Humanities... A History Resource for Students, Cambodian Archaeology, and Pulitzer History

Humanities Stories from Around the Globe to Pique Interest and Spark Conversation!

Patrick Awuah makes the case that a liberal arts education is critical to forming true leaders.

- "Patrick Awuah on educating leaders," (TED Talks, Filmed June 2007)

A major stop for runaway Southern slaves, Washington, DC, attracted large numbers of blacks after the Civil War. By 1960 the city had a majority black population. The presence of black political organizations and the large marches in the 1960s made Washington a major center of the civil rights movement. Today it is one of the largest and most prominent black-dominated communities in the United States.

- Johnson, David, "Important Cities in Black History Atlanta to Washington, DC: landmarks in African-American history," (Fact Monster)

Count Basie and Bob Crosby
at the Howard Theatre,
Gottlieb Collection, Library
of Congress

George Clinton surveyed the crowd Tuesday night and let out a soulful sigh: “Boy, do I have memories in this joint!” The legendary purveyor of funk, looking notably tidier sans his equally legendary Technicolor dreadlocks, took the Howard Theatre stage at the historic venue’s VIP grand opening concert and celebration following a $29 million renovation.

- Purdom, Gwendolyn, "DC’s Historic Howard Theatre Reopens After Major Restoration," April 12, 2012, (PreservationNation, The official blog of the National Trust for Historic Preservation)

A team of young archaeologists from the Faculty of Archaeology at the Royal University of Fine Arts and from the Royal Academy of Cambodia initiated a yearlong project that combined: excavation, cultural resource management and the construction of a museum in order to preserve, document and disseminate information about the rich cultural heritage of the Sre Ampil site.

- "Sre Ampil Archaeological Project," (The Center for Khmer Studies)

The Humanities Council [of North Carolina] has been revisiting the notion of The American Dream. During this process we decided to take the conversation outside (literally) and engage folks in conversation around this broad but universally relevant topic. 

- "The American Dream by Jakub Pucilowski," (The North Carolina Humanities Council)

“Pulitzer history, of sorts, was made this year when the Pulitzer Board announced that no prize for fiction would be awarded this year,” says Corrigan, who has been published in the New York Times, written a book and writes a mystery book column for the Washington Post.

- "NPR's Maureen Corrigan Judged Fiction for Pulitzer Prize Not Awarded," (Georgetown University) 

From the DC Digital Museum Archives... The City Museum Talks Archaeology

What Secrets do the Streets Beneath Downtown Hold?

In 2003, the staff of the short-lived Washington, DC City Museum, won a grant from the Humanities Council to produce a short film on the archaeological history of the 7th Street Downtown neighborhood the new institution would occupy when it opened at the Carnegie Library on Mt. Vernon Square. The film, narrated by Okolo Thomas-Toure, introduced its audience to the ordinary people who lived in downtown Washington from the city's founding to the early 20th century when the area became known as a red light and nightlife destination.

A series of vignettes introduce the neighborhood's immigration history, medical history, architectural history, and entertainment history. Check out the film and tell us what's missing! How would you alter or add to the historical narrative of bustling Downtown Washington?

Students in Cemeteries: Hands on History Learning

Students From a Recent HCWDC Funded Program to Debut Film

The Female Union Band Cemetery
As seen from Rock Creek Park

Recent grantee "I Saw! The Experience of Learning in DC," and its cadre of cemetery exploring youth will screen their film on Saturday, November 12 at 5PM. The event will be hosted by the African-American Civil War Museum at 1925 Vermont Ave, NW. The film titled "We Are Not Afraid to Make History! (Part 1)," was directed, filmed, and edited by the young participants.

Last Summer 30 young students braved the hottest part of the year investigating Washington, DC's historic African-American cemeteries. They met with historians, archeologists, and other researchers who mentored them as they reviewed primary source materials to reconstruct the lives of some of the people buried in the Antebellum era gravesites. The forthcoming film is based on the video documentation of the project.

"I Saw! The Experience of Learning in DC" is an organization that implements "Living Images in my World" as a program of community based education projects with outcomes promoting a social good, high intellectual value, and creative artistic vision.

Click Here to View Their Full Press Release