Cal Humanities

"The understanding of a culture comes from hearing the language, tasting the food, seeing personal interactions, experiencing the traditions, and so much more in context."

— Elizabeth Laval & Candice Pendergrass, Sikh Youth Public History Project

"The understanding of a culture comes from hearing the language, tasting the food, seeing personal interactions, experiencing the traditions, and so much more when it is in context."

— Elizabeth Laval & Candice Pendergrass, Sikh Youth Public History Project

Searching for Democracy: What Does Democracy Look Like?

“What Does Democracy Look Like?” is a short piece examining the nature, history, and approach of individuals and societies building and living in democratic societies.

California Humanities launched Searching for Democracy, a statewide initiative designed to animate public conversation on the very nature of democracy through a wide range of public programs leading into the 2012 elections and beyond.

The kickoff to the initiative, a forum entitled “Democracy and the Culture of Civic Conversation,” was held March 4, 2011 at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in downtown Los Angeles and adjacent Japanese American National Museum. California Humanities convened scholars, public intellectuals, policy specialists, journalists and authors to discuss the evolution of civic conversation and the changing nature of democracy over time. This video draws from individual responses to the various questions about democracy discussed throughout the day.

Original music by Nat Osborn