By Taylor Starek Everyone told Shawn Rech it wouldn’t work in Cleveland. He couldn’t be a filmmaker here—he’d have to go to Hollywood. Rech was unphased. His first project, a local TV program, focused on unsolved crimes. “People told us we’d never have the production values,” he said. “[They said] we’d never get it on TV.” Rech’s program not only … Read More
Built on Broken Promises
Wyandots in Ohio Image courtesy of the Wyandot County Historical Society. Original painting on display at the Wyandot County Museum, Upper Sandusky, Ohio 235 years ago, the American government began experimenting with new land policies, vowing to never displace Indigenous tribes without their consent. Ohio became the testing ground—and one of the first sites of empty promises that would remove … Read More
Ohio’s Fight for School Integration
When their school district refused to desegregate after Brown v. Board of Education was decided in 1954, 55 Black women and children in a small Ohio town fought to desegregate a local elementary school by marching to the white school, demanding admission. Upon being rejected, they woke up the next morning and marched again. And again. And again. In the … Read More
A Vibrant Appalachia
Ohio Humanities is a proud supporter of humanities work throughout Ohio’s Appalachian communities, where funds are in high demand and other support is much less common than in larger cities. From a walkable outdoor exhibit in an Athens park that highlights the important role the humanities have played in the region to LatinX storytelling by Southern Ohio Folklife, we are … Read More
“The Prettiest Star” by Carter Sickels, and other queer stories
Review by Rebecca Brown Asmo In The Prettiest Star, Carter Sickels tells the story of Brian, a gay man living in 1980s New York City who, dying from AIDS and no longer able to care for himself, is forced to return to his small hometown in Ohio. Told from the perspectives of Brian himself, his younger sister Jess, and his mother … Read More
Celebrating Asian and Pacific Ohioans’ Stories
From awarding grants to organizations like Midstory to develop a virtual gallery highlighting the experiences of AAPI individuals and communities across Ohio to listening to the fifth episode of Amended, a podcast from our friends at Humanities New York that tells the story of Mabel Lee, a teenaged immigrant from China who led a New York City suffrage parade on horseback … Read More
Ohio Humanities to sponsor Chagrin Documentary Film Festival
CHAGRIN FALLS, OH— Ohio Humanities is pleased to announce a three-year partnership with the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival. In addition to serving as a lead sponsor of the annual festival, Ohio Humanities will sponsor films for distribution and awards at the festival, free public access across the state to sponsored films and panel discussions, and the development of the Big … Read More
Ohio Humanities hiring Senior Development Officer
The Ohio Humanities Council, a state-based partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, located in Columbus, Ohio, seeks a Senior Development Officer. This position will play an important role in developing and implementing a donor-centered fund development plan that will diversify sources of revenue from individual, corporate, and foundation donors throughout the state. Position reports to the Executive Director.
Ohio Humanities awards over $1M in grants to elevate diverse stories statewide
COLUMBUS, OH—Ohio Humanities has awarded $2.8M in COVID recovery grants statewide, including over $1M in grants to elevate diverse stories, BIPOC-led organizations and women-led organizations. Over $625,000 of that grant money is helping elevate Black voices, Black stories and Black-led organizations across the state.
In Conversation: Dr. Deondre Smiles
Dr. Deondre Smiles is a Black and Ojibwe scholar originally from occupied Dakota territories (Minneapolis). A geographer whose research interests include Indigenous geographies and epistemologies, science and technology studies, and tribal cultural resource preservation and protection, Dr. Smiles earned his PhD in Geography from The Ohio State University in 2020. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Geography at the University … Read More