Oregon Humanities, formerly known as the Oregon Council for the Humanities, is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the

National Endowment for the Humanities The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...

for the U.S. state of

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

Description and history

Oregon Humanities is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the

(NEH), the federal agency of the U.S. government established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 () to support research, education, preservation, and public programs in the

humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at the t ...

. The organization was established as the Oregon Committee for the Humanities in 1971 as one of 56 humanities councils in the states and territories of the United States. Since 2001, Oregon Humanities has been one of

Oregon Cultural Trust Oregon Cultural Trust is a cultural promotion and preservation organization in the U.S. state of Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northe ...

's five partners. Its mission is to "connect people and communities through conversation, storytelling, and participatory programs to inspire understanding and collaborative change, and its vision is "an Oregon that invites diverse perspectives, explores challenging questions and strives for just communities". Oregon Humanities is supported by grants and donations from individuals and works in partnership with libraries and organizations such as Adelante Mujeres, the

Portland Children's Museum Portland Children's Museum was a children's museum located in Portland's Washington Park, adjacent to the Oregon Zoo. Founded in 1946, Portland Children's Museum was the sixth oldest children's museum in the world and the oldest west of the Mis ...

, and Portland Playhouse. The organization has also partnered with

Cambia Health Solutions Cambia Health Solutions is a nonprofit health care company based in Portland, Oregon. It is the parent company of Regence, a member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association operating in Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Washington; Asuris Northwest Health ...

. Adam Davis became Oregon Humanities' fifth executive director in 2013, replacing Cara Ungar. NEH profiled Davis in their November–December 2015 issue of ''Humanities''.

Robert Arellano Robert Arellano (born July 12, 1969) is an American author, musician and educator from Talent, Oregon. His literary production includes pioneering work in electronic publishing, graphic-novel editions for Soft Skull Press/Counterpoint, and five ...

, an author, musician, and educator who teaches at Southern Oregon University and created its Center for Emerging Media and Digital Arts in 2010, joined the affiliate's board of directors in January 2016.

Programs and activities

Oregon Humanities' programs include: ''Oregon Humanities magazine''; The Conversation Project, a series of facilitated discussions hosted by a local businesses, community group, or nonprofit organizations on subjects relevant to their members; Humanity in Perspective, a free college-level humanities course offered to low income adults without a college education;National Endowment for the Humanities: * * "Consider This" events, hosted quarterly; and grants to other organizations. "Humanity in Perspective" was created in collaboration with Reed College and has been offered in

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada Ontario * Bruce County ** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie ** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce * Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...

, and the

Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution The Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution is one of 14 state prisons in Oregon, United States. The prison is located in Pendleton, Oregon. The facility was originally built in 1913 as the Eastern Oregon State Hospital, a hospital for long-term ...

. In March 2015, the organization debuted "Future: Portland", a video inspired by Ifanyi Bell's essay in the "Quandary" issue of ''Oregon Humanities'' about the challenges of growing up black in Portland ("The Air I Breathe", Fall–Winter 2014). The video, which was produced by Bell and Brushfire Creative Partners with funds provided by the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, addresses gentrification and features local black civic leaders sharing their perspectives, describing the loss of the city's black communities, and expressing their hope for cultural restoration.

The Conversation Project

The "Conversation Project" series "brings Oregonians together to discuss their differences, beliefs and backgrounds about important issues and ideas". According to the Oregon Culture Trust, the series "offers Oregon nonprofits free, educational public discussion programs about important topics that affect our daily lives". Its stated goal is to "give diverse communities statewide—neighbors and strangers alike—the opportunity to engage in humanities-based, public conversations that are timely and relevant". Discussions are facilitated by "humanities scholars—artists, community leaders, innovators, provocateurs, and other engaged thinkers", having been recruited by Oregon Humanities. The organization seeks facilitators who are "smart, passionate about ideas, able to listen to others, and curious-individuals who understand the role of the humanities in the public sphere, but who are also teachers at heart, regardless of their day job". Between 2011 and 2016 Oregon Humanities offered "Why Aren't There More Black People in Oregon?", a conversation led by Walidah Imarisha about the history of racism in Oregon, as part of its "Conversation Project" series. During March–May 2016,

Linfield College Linfield University is a private university with campuses in McMinnville, and Portland, Oregon. Linfield Wildcats athletics participates in the NCAA Division III Northwest Conference. Linfield reported a combined 1,755 students after the fall ...

hosted events addressing diversity, including: "White Out? The Future of Racial Diversity in Oregon", "Northwest Mixtape: Hip Hop Culture and Influences", and "Mind the Gaps: How Gender Shapes our Lives".

References

External links

* {{authority control 1971 establishments in Oregon Humanities organizations National Endowment for the Humanities Organizations based in Portland, Oregon Organizations established in 1971