Woke and Kicking up a Storm: The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) 2021 Medals Just Awarded

  Henrietta Mann, 2021 NEH Humanities Award recipient.
A Cheyenne, she taught Native American Studies at the University of Montana,and gives voice to the stories
of Indigenous Americans. Photo she provided NEH. 

Underneath all the bad news, life goes on. Some positive things are happening, and they are making a difference.  That's why I was glad to read news that the public humanities are alive and well. 

Just a few days ago, President Biden presented the 2021 National Humanities Medals, delayed by the COVID pandemic, in conjunction with the Medals of Arts, at the White House. The 12 Humanities medal recipients include writers, historians, educators, journalists and activists. Jill Biden attended, as I remember Hillary Clinton doing when Bill Clinton presided and I worked with the DC humanities council.  The cherry blossoms were usually in bloom and it was a gala event. Rebirth was in the air.

Although NEH wouldn't put it this way, I am happy to note that the public humanities are "woke" and kicking up a storm. They may be somewhat hidden under the political noise, so full of drama, rage and thunder, but they are doing great work in every state across the country. Google the state humanities councils to see how their ongoing programs and grants are strengthening our democracy while extremists tear it apart, fraying our social fabric. There's hope.

Shelly Lowe, NEH 

Shelly Lowe, a Navajo and the first Native American to head NEH, praised the recipients. "They have enriched our world through writing that moves and inspires us; scholarship that enlarges our understanding of the past; and through their dedication to educating, informing, and giving voice to communities and histories often overlooked."   

In short, these talented, gifted and dedicated Americans are "woke" and working to enrich our intellectual and cultural lives. They are aware. They know what's going on around them, sensitive to issues of racism, the authentic history of our country,
who's been left out, who's worked for change to realize the promise of America. They are fearless in the realm of thought. They question and they are engaged in civil life. They welcome discussion and civic discourse.

So who are these "woke" individuals who are asking questions about the kind of world we live in and the kind of world we hope to leave to our children? 

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There's Richard Blanco, born in 1968, son of Cuban immigrants, an award-winning poet, author and professor whose "storytelling challenges the boundaries of culture, gender, and class."  He was the first immigrant, the first Latino, and the first openly gay person to be an Inaugural poet, reading his poem "One Today" at Barack Obama's second inauguration. Some of us remember it with nostalgia for the e pluribus unum, "Out of many, one," that it evoked. 

There's the amazing Johnnetta Betsch Cole, born in 1936, anthropologist, humanities leader, former Spellman College president, then Director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art from 2009-2017. Her life work about the contributions of Afro-Latin, Caribbean, and African communities have advanced American understanding of Black culture. I had the good fortune to meet Johnnetta Cole at various NEH and Smithsonian Institution functions, and I learned something new every time. 

As you can see, woke.  

I was especially glad to learn about the contributions of Henrietta Ho’oesto’oona'e, Mann, a Cheyenne, an elder of her people, and a citizen of Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. She is a pioneer professor of Native American studies, "honoring ancestors that came before and benefiting generations that follow." Her story is moving. Another recipient, Native America Calling, is an interactive show on public radio and online that educates us about Indigenous issues, amplifies native voices, introduces us to Indigenous artists, poets, writers, and activists. This program complements Mann's work and the research and teaching of other scholars in Native American Studies. 

There's also Walter Isaacson, journalist and author, past president of the Aspen Institute and a former head of CNN. According to NEH, his work "bridges divides between science and the humanities, and between opposing philosophies... elevating discourse and our understanding of who we are as a Nation."  Born in New Orleans in 1952, he has an incredible record of accomplishments in public and private affairs, truly a Renaissance man.  

Rounding out the awardees are Ann Patchett, award-winning novelist and owner of Parnassas Books, and Amy Tan, daughter of Chinese immigrants, author of The Joy Luck Club and many others;  Bryan Stevenson, advocate for the poor, incarcerated, and condemned, who also chronicles the legacy of lynching and racism in America; Tara Westover, for her memoirs of family, religion, and the transformative power of education; Colson Whitehead, novelist, "who makes real the African American journey through our Nation’s continued reckoning with the original sin of slavery and our ongoing march toward a more perfect Union." And Earl Lewis, a social historian, Black history scholar, and academic leader who's a leading voice for greater diversity in academia and our Nation. 

Woke. All these fabulous recipients of the Humanities Medal. Anecdotes to the toxicity of the latest anti-intellectual furor over the progress made toward realizing the American ideals of equality and justice under the law. 

Woke and kicking. To be aware and engaged. To be open to education, books, learning and growing in knowledge and understanding. To be informed. To care, to care deeply about American ideals, values, traditions, and promise.

These are, indeed, the hallmarks of an informed citizen in a democracy.  Supporting and honoring the humanities in education and in our public life, amplifying the voices of these Humanities Medal recipients, will ensure we have what it takes to keep it. 

Sources:

1. Henrietta Mann | The National Endowment for the Humanities (neh.gov) one of 12 recipients of the 2021 National Humanities Medal bestowed by Biden on March 21, 2023.

2. 2021 National Humanities Medals | The National Endowment for the Humanities (neh.gov), Washington, DC (March 20, 2023). As noted above, the 2021 medals were delayed due to the COVID pandemic. NEH like the rest of the nation is catching up.

3. Google Wikipedia and press coverage of the award ceremony at the White House to learn more about each Humanities Medal recipient. They are amazing.

4. Native America Calling | The National Endowment for the Humanities (neh.gov)

About NEH: Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) supports learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation that support research in the humanities, nurture humanities infrastructure, and expand the reach of the humanities. Since 1965, NEH has awarded nearly $6 billion to cultural institutions, individual scholars, and communities. The Endowment serves and strengthens the country by bringing high-quality historical and cultural experiences to large and diverse audiences in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five jurisdictions; providing opportunities for lifelong learning, access to cultural and educational resources, and strengthening the base of the human stories that connect all Americans.