North Carolina Humanities Council

PURPOSE: A COLLABORATIVE, COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECT USING ETHNOGRAPHY, STORY-SHARING, PORTRAITURE, AND COMMUNITY CONVERSATION CIRCLES, R TO THE POWER OF 3 EXPLORES RURAL REENTRY THROUGH THE LENS OF RECLAMATION, REDEMPTION, AND RESTORATION. THE OVERARCHING INTENT OF THE PROJECT IS TO EXPAND AND SHIFT THE DOMINANT NARRATIVE AROUND INCARCERATION AND REENTRY; TO BUILD RELATIONAL CAPACITY FOR COLLABORATION WITHIN THE JUSTICE-INVOLVED MEMBERS AND BETWEEN THE JUSTICE-INVOLVED AND OTHER COMMUNITY LEADERS; TO ENHANCE MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND RESPECT BETWEEN RETURNEES, FAMILY MEMBERS, FAITH AND CIVIC LEADERS, AND SERVICE PROVIDERS. R TO THE POWER OF 3 EMPLOYS MULTIPLE CREATIVE PATHWAYS FOR SHARING THESE STORIES, INCLUDING STORY CYCLES; INTERACTIVE, TRAVELING EXHIBITS; AND AUDIO/VIDEO PIECES. WHAT ARE THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES OF AND NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR REENTRY? THIS IS THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION WE WILL EXPLORE WITH VARIED STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY.

PURPOSE: ALL HISTORY IS LOCAL HISTORY, BUT STUDENTS OFTEN LEARN PRIMARILY ABOUT PEOPLE, PLACES, AND EVENTS OUTSIDE THEIR OWN LOCAL COMMUNITY OR REGION. THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO PROVIDE BETTER ACCESS TO PRIMARY SOURCE MATERIALS RELATED TO JOHNSTON COUNTY THAT SHED LIGHT ON IMPORTANT TOPICS ALIGNED WITH THE SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM EMPLOYED IN LOCAL CLASSROOMS. WE WILL COLLABORATE WITH AN AMERICAN HISTORY TEACHER IN THE COUNTY'S CAREER AND TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP ACADEMY AND WITH THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM'S K-12 SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM SPECIALIST TO CREATE ONLINE LESSON PLANS AND ONLINE ACCESS TO PRIMARY SOURCE MATERIALS THAT CAN BE USED BY TEACHERS AND STUDENTS EITHER AT HOME OR IN CLASSROOMS. WE WILL ALSO DEVELOP TRAVELING EXHIBITS WHICH CAN BE USED TO SHOWCASE LOCAL HISTORY IN SCHOOLS. THESE MATERIALS WILL BE TAILORED FOR 3RD GRADERS WHO LEARN ABOUT THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY, 4TH AND 8TH GRADERS WHO STUDY NORTH CAROLINA HISTORY, AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO STUDY WORLD AND U.S. HISTORY.

PURPOSE: IN A SERIES OF FREE WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS, AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS HELD DOWNTOWN AND IN OFF-CAMPUS SPACES, HUMANITIES EXPERTS WILL HELP THE PUBLIC CONSIDER DIVERSE RURAL CULTURES CLOSELY AND IN DEPTH. SCHOLARS WILL OFFER HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND INTERPRETIVE STRATEGIES FOR THOSE REPRESENTATIONS OF RURAL LIFE SEEN IN ANNUAL LOCAL EVENTS, AS WELL AS FOR REPRESENTATIONS OF RURAL CULTURES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. THE SERIES WILL HELP RESIDENTS OF NORTH CAROLINA'S HIGH COUNTRY AND ITS VISITORS (1) BETTER UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT PEOPLES THAT INHABIT RUSTIC REGIONS, AND (2) RELATE FAMILIAR LOCAL TRADITIONS TO THE CUSTOMS OF RURAL CULTURES ABROAD THAT THEY MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENCOUNTER.

PURPOSE: GUILFORD'S FREEDOM TRAILS IS A PROJECT SEEKING FUNDING FROM NC HUMANITIES TO DEEPEN STUDENTS' UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD IN GUILFORD COUNTY, NC. THE INITIATIVE AIMS TO EQUIP A CLASS OF TITLE I NINTH AND TENTH-GRADE STUDENTS IN GREENSBORO WITH EMPATHY, UNDERSTANDING, AND RESPECT THROUGH INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES. A WALKING TOUR OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD TRAIL IN GUILFORD COLLEGE WOODS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A HUMANITIES-BASED DISCUSSION. LED BY HUMANITIES EXPERTS FROM GUILFORD COLLEGE, THE TOUR PROVIDES HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES. DISCUSSIONS EXPLORE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD AND ITS CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE, FOSTERING CRITICAL THINKING AND EMPATHY. A TEAM OF EXPERTS WILL DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM TO COMPLEMENT THE TOUR. THE PROJECT TIMELINE SPANS ONE YEAR, WITH INITIAL PHASES FOCUSING ON OUTREACH, PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, AND CURRICULUM CREATION.

PURPOSE: "FINDING COMMON GROUND" USES ARTS AND HISTORY TO FOSTER DIALOGUE AND REFLECTION ABOUT THE REALITIES OF PREJUDICE AS WELL AS THE POSSIBILITIES THAT COME FROM INTERSECTIONAL PARTNERSHIPS. WE WILL HOST TWO 3-PART INTERACTIVE SERIES ABOUT THE EXPERIENCES AND CULTURAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED GROUPS IN NC. THE SERIES WILL TAKE PLACE IN DURHAM, NC IN FALL 2023 AND IN GREENVILLE, NC IN SPRING 2024. PARTICIPANTS WILL TAKE AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE HISTORICAL EXPERIENCES AND PRESENT-DAY CHALLENGES OF JEWS, MUSLIMS, AND IMMIGRANTS IN NC THROUGH THE LENS OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES. EACH SESSION WILL FOSTER CULTURAL LITERACY FOR PARTICIPANTS AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SINCERE, INTERGROUP RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING AMONGST LEADERS AND PARTICIPANTS. PARTICIPANTS WILL HONE THEIR ABILITIES TO PRODUCTIVELY EMPATHIZE WITH PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT IDENTITIES, TO DECODE POPULAR REPRESENTATIONS OF HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED GROUPS, AND TO CREATE ACTION PLANS TO FOSTER GREATER CONNECTION ACROSS DIFFERENCES.

PURPOSE: ISLA PROVIDES FREE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES AND PROGRAMS TO MORE THAN 200 SPANISH SPEAKING LATINE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN THE NORTH CAROLINA TRIANGLE AREA. A HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED GROUP DUE TO NUMEROUS BARRIERS, ISLA EXISTS TO BRIDGE THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND OPPORTUNITY GAPS FOR THE LATINE COMMUNITY. THROUGH OUR WEEKLY HERITAGE LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL IMMERSION PROGRAM, ISLA LOS SBADOS, WE PROVIDE LATINE CHILDREN IN PREK THROUGH 12TH GRADE WITH A CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE EDUCATION THAT REFLECTS THEIR BACKGROUNDS AND EXPERIENCES. CHILDREN BASE THEIR VISIONS OF THEIR FUTURES ON WHAT THEY SEE IN THEIR EVERYDAY ENVIRONMENTS. IN THEIR CLASSROOMS AT ISLA, WE HOPE THAT STUDENTS CAN ENVISION WHAT'S POSSIBLE FOR THEM WHEN THEY SEE THE SPANISH LANGUAGE AND LATIN AMERICAN CULTURES CELEBRATED EVERY SATURDAY.