Georgia Humanities Celebrates Their 50th Anniversary
National History Day Georgia courtesy of Georgia Humanities
National History Day Georgia courtesy of Georgia Humanities
From its offices in Atlanta, Georgia Humanities has shared the stories that move us and make us from communities across the state since 1971. One of the first six state-based humanities programs to be established with National Endowment for the Huminites (NEH) funding, Georgia Humanities serves all 14 congressional districts in one of the most populous and diverse states in the country. As the only nonprofit organization in Georgia providing support for the humanities statewide, Georgia Humanities produces original programming and funds grant projects that represent the wide range of backgrounds, interests, and experiences that define the state and its people.
Over the course of its first 50 years, Georgia Humanities has formed impactful partnerships with other nonprofits and the state government to provide resources for all Georgians. For more than a decade the council has partnered with the office of the governor and the Georgia Council for the Arts to sponsor the Governor’s Awards for the Arts & Humanities, honoring individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the civic or cultural vitality of the state. The council also partners with publishers, such as University of Georgia Press to support special book publications, and the Georgia public library system to support literacy efforts in the state, such as the PRIME TIME family reading program.
Juneteenth events at the Oakland Cemetery courtesy of Georgia Humanities
Juneteenth events at the Oakland Cemetery courtesy of Georgia Humanities
In 2021, Georgia Humanities distributed more than $1 million in grants to 78 organizations using funding from American Rescue Plan through NEH. In addition to these special grants, which helped to sustain humanities institutions as they navigated the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Georgia Humanities distributes thousands of dollars in grants annually. In Atlanta, the Historic Oakland Foundation, a 2018 recipient of the Governor’s Awards for the Arts & Humanities, used Georgia Humanities grants to develop Juneteenth events at the Oakland Cemetery and support a partnership with Kennesaw State University to develop a permanent exhibition about the cemetery’s history.
National History Day Georgia courtesy of Georgia Humanities
National History Day Georgia courtesy of Georgia Humanities
Georgia Humanities supports a wide range of initiatives, providing valuable tools and opportunities to engage with the humanities, both online and in person. For students and lifelong learners throughout the state and around the world the New Georgia Encyclopedia (NGE), America’s first “born-digital” state encyclopedia, launched in 2004, details the state’s history. The NGE features more than 2,300 articles with 5,600 archived images and was built in collaboration with University of Georgia Press, the University of Georgia libraries, the University System of Georgia/GALILEO, and the Office of the Governor. Georgia students also engage with the council through National History Day Georgia, managed by Georgia Humanities since 1993, in partnership with LaGrange College. Each year, more than 11,000 students participate in this event, developing research projects about a historic topic of their choice related to the year’s theme.
NEH congratulates Georgia Humanities on 50 exciting years of bringing the humanities to the Peach State. To learn more about Georgia Humanities, visit georgiahumanities.org.