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

Still from War Ink

Voices of California’s Veterans

California Humanities has had a long history in working with veterans and veterans’ organizations through our grants and programs, from our Literature and Medicine® program to our War Comes Home initiative, which included a series of thought-provoking interviews with veterans. This Memorial Day, we hope to increase awareness and understanding of the veteran experience through reviewing these past projects we’ve supported. 

Real Veterans, Reel Stories was a statewide series of screenings and discussions of short documentaries made by veteran filmmakers in San Francisco State University’s Veteran Documentary Corps program.

Stories of the ½% was an afternoon of dramatic storytelling and discussion by Los Angeles area veterans followed by public dialogue at the Los Angeles Public Library Taper Auditorium organized by the Mindful Warrior Project, an LA-based Veteran-Serving Organization.

War Ink is an award-winning online exhibit of images and stories contributed by California veterans to share their experiences of war and coming home, as documented through memorial tattoos. The online exhibit was curated by a public librarian and a veteran activist in partnership with 24 California public libraries.

Veterans Write A Play was a project supported by a Humanities for All Quick Grant, in which Los Angeles-based veterans participated in a series of writing workshops that culminated in a staged reading and discussion open to the public. Facilitated by professional writers, playwrights, and theatre directors, the participants learned the basics of playwriting, collectively chose the topic, theme, story and characters, and wrote a play, titled Grandfathered: Where War Lingers. 

 

Share

Related Articles