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One-time grant opportunity to support conversations about social, economic, cultural and racial issues available

A special one-time funding opportunity from Indiana Humanities will be offered to Indiana nonprofits as part of the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Humanities and the Legacy of Race and…

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A special one-time funding opportunity from Indiana Humanities will be offered to Indiana nonprofits as part of the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Humanities and the Legacy of Race and Ethnicity initiative. Entitled “INcommon,” the grants will fund programs that explore the social, economic, cultural and racial issues that confront Indiana communities.

INcommon grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded for new or ongoing public programs that use humanities ideas, history, readings and scholars to spark in-depth conversation, insight and consideration of others’ points of view. Such projects may include reading series and civic reflection discussions; public lectures or panels; film screenings and discussions; or the creation of exhibits, walking tours or documentary films.

“We welcome projects from across Indiana, addressing diverse themes and using a variety of public humanities formats,” said Keira Amstutz, president and CEO of Indiana Humanities. “The humanities are a true resource for dialogue, understanding and the stitching together of our social and civic fabric. We hope that these grants inspire and encourage Hoosiers to engage and connect.”

Applications must contain a strong focus on the humanities, which includes the following disciplines: literature, language, history, philosophy, archaeology, comparative religion, law, ethics, the theory, history and criticism of the performing and visual arts, and social sciences that have humanistic content and/or humanistic methods.

Special priority will be given to projects that include community discussion and conversation at the heart of their proposed activities. Successful proposals will include input from humanities scholars, including as advisers or facilitators. Programs must take place between March and October 2017; the deadline to apply is Jan. 20, 2017.

Some key questions to explore might include:

  • How can poems, essays, novels, films and more—as well as humanities methods—shared reading and conversation, scholar talks, community history projects—create space for meaningful discussion about the legacies of race and ethnicity in the United States?
  • What insights do great writers and poets give us into the experience of being marginalized because of race and/or ethnicity in different times and places in American history?
  • How are the humanities, especially with our appreciation of complexity and nuance, uniquely suited to help communities consider conflicting points of view and work towards discovering shared values?

“The humanities provide important ways for us to make connections with one another as we explore the difficult and important issues facing our society. Contemporary debates such as immigration, gentrification, incarceration, policing, institutional racism, and the legacies of segregation in housing and education have deep roots in our nation’s history, and are intertwined with some of the most admirable aspects of our country,” said Dr. Modupe Labode, associate professor of history and museum studies at IUPUI.  “These issues can be difficult to discuss. But the humanities can create a space for people to come together to learn, consider different points of view, model respectful disagreement and discover shared values.”

The complete call for applications, additional instructions and project ideas and inspirations can be found at www.IndianaHumanities.org/INcommon.