The Great Serpent Mound, located in Southern Ohio, is one of the most recognizable effigy mounds in American archaeology. Experts have not yet determined its origins, but many archaeologists believe that it was constructed about 1,000 years ago, significantly later than the Hopewell culture. Although it is not part of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, additional efforts are underway to have … Read More
Humanities at Play: Wilfried Nancy
The expressive Frenchman – a one-time professional footballer now coaching the Columbus Crew – stood beaming on the pitch at Lower.com Field, basking in the overwhelming joy of his team’s Major League Soccer championship. On that night in late 2023, in his first year with the Crew, Wilfried Nancy had just become the first Black coach to win an MLS … Read More
Humanities at Play: Toni Shorter Smith
Toni Shorter Smith has championed African-American culture in Ohio in profound ways. Among other work, she mobilized and trained a team of 30 volunteers to research and document African-American settlements in Central Ohio for Columbus Landmarks. She was instrumental in creating the Aminah Robinson Legacy Project with the Columbus Museum of Art, which honors the late artist’s legacy by offering … Read More
Humanities at Play: Mike Carey
Mike Carey was raised on a family farm in Sabina, Ohio, which he credits for instilling in him the values of hard work and community. He earned his history degree from The Ohio State University and followed family tradition by serving as a military officer before spending more than two decades as an advocate for coal miners. Now, he is … Read More
Saving history through public art
By Alex Corpuz On Juneteenth this year, I made a trip to Athens, Ohio, to see the unveiling of a mural depicting the history of the founding of Mount Zion Baptist Church. Now the Mount Zion Black Cultural Center, the former church is a prominent landmark for the Black community of Athens County. The mural—painted by community members and displayed … Read More
“Nothing about us, without us”
By Aaron Rovan Ohio Humanities Program Officer Aaron Rovan attended the opening of Great Council State Park earlier this month. Below, he reflects on the event—and previews a new Ohio Humanities-funded podcast that shares the stories of Native Ohioans. On a clear morning in early June, I stood shoulder-to-shoulder in a crowd of hundreds of people in Xenia, a small town near … Read More
Our 2023 impact
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