At Ohio Humanities, we envision an Ohio where people’s unique stories are heard, the past is linked to the present, and a better future is realized together. In 2023, we invested $488,858 in grant funding in Ohio’s stories and storytellers, sparking conversations and inspiring ideas across the state. Our 2023 Impact Report highlights the ways in which documentary film is … Read More
Five takeaways from The Lincoln School Story
Thanks for joining Ohio Humanities and the Social Justice Law Center at Case Western Reserve University School of Law for a screening of The Lincoln School Story last week! We’re grateful to the Social Justice Institute, the Black Law Student Association, and the Black History Exhibit Planning Committee at CWRU for cosponsoring the program. Jenny Hamel, host of Sound of Ideas on WKSU/Ideastream … Read More
How I became a “book bartender”
By Rebecca Brown Asmo The first time a teacher assigned a book written by a Black author to me, I was a junior in college. Before that, everything assigned to me was written and taught to me by White people. While I occasionally stumbled upon a book by a Black author in my personal time, it wasn’t until a Women’s … Read More
Ohio’s Native stories
Celebrating Thanksgiving often means going home, but for many of our Native neighbors, the concept of home is a painful reminder of what was taken from them during campaigns of forced assimilation and removal from their homelands. Nothing we do today can reverse this painful history and its aftermath, but the humanities provide a long overdue opportunity to connect with, understand, … Read More
Ohio Humanities, Daydreamers Press release children’s book
Nonfiction picture book tells the story of a civil rights demonstration through the eyes of a real-life child activist Ohio Humanities and Daydreamers Press announce the release of Step by Step: How the Lincoln School Marchers Blazed a Trail to Justice, a new nonfiction picture book for young readers. Written by New York Times bestselling author Debbie Rigaud and Carlotta … Read More
My North Star
By Rebecca Brown Asmo I have a confession to make. Until 2020, I didn’t really know what the humanities were. Yes, that’s correct. I’m the leader of our state’s humanities council, the “boots on the ground” in Ohio for the National Endowment for the Humanities and I didn’t really know what the humanities were until three years ago. I realize … Read More
The Story of Cory
Cleveland’s Cory United Methodist was born a Jewish synagogue and community center. Then, it evolved into a Christian church and became one of the nation’s most noteworthy centers of civil rights activism. Now, led by a passionate young pastor, the landmark that hosted crusaders from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Malcolm X is fighting not for equality but for its life.
If I Am Catholic: David Merkowitz
The number of places of worship nationwide is decreasing, but faith remains. What role does faith play in the modern world? We asked five Ohioans to share what it means in their daily lives. David J. Merkowitz is the Director of Grants and Programs at Ohio Humanities. He has a PhD in History with a focus on the history of … Read More
Humanities at Play: Dr. Carlotta Penn
Carlotta Penn is a creator—an author, a songwriter and a poet. She’s a learner—a thirsty student with a bachelor’s degree in communication, a master’s degree in comparative studies and a doctorate in education. She’s an educator—a longtime teacher who is now a senior director at the Ohio State University, overseeing partnerships and engagement activities in the Office of Equity, Diversity … Read More
Humanities at Play: Dr. Jeremy Taylor
When Northwest Ohio’s Defiance College established an Institute for Career Readiness and Lifelong Learning, it tapped Dr. Jeremy Taylor to lead the institute as dean. Taylor is a tenured history professor who holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in history—and who has compiled an armful of awards in his career across Texas, Arkansas and Ohio. Now, Taylor has helped create … Read More