Wisconsin Humanities Nears Major Funding Milestone with Donor Challenge

Pamela Newkirk, an NYU journalism professor, is researching the longstanding influence and presence of Black Americans in Paris, highlighting figures such as Josephine Baker, James Baldwin, and Richard Wright and how their legacy continues to resonate in the city today. At UC Santa Cruz, the humanities are being celebrated for their societal impact, with initiatives like Humanities EXPLORE, EXCEL, and The Humanities Institute (THI) fostering student engagement, research excellence, and public programs that connect academic work with community needs. THI, established in 1999, has supported over 1,300 fellowships and numerous public initiatives, emphasizing the role of humanities in addressing contemporary issues and advancing cultural understanding. Meanwhile, Wisconsin Humanities is actively engaging its community through fundraising and outreach efforts to sustain humanities programs and ensure their accessibility, with a current campaign that triples donations to support their future initiatives. These developments collectively underscore the vital role that humanities scholarship and community engagement play in preserving cultural legacies, promoting social justice, and shaping inclusive futures across diverse contexts.