"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

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"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

Home / Programs & Initiatives / Past Programs / We Are the Humanities

We Are the Humanities

To celebrate over 40 years of grant making, programming, and partnerships that connect Californians to each other, we invited a group of prominent Californians to explore what the humanities mean to them.

We’re so proud that these videos are also part of the Humanities Moments Project page that was created by our friend and partner, the National Humanities Center in North Carolina.

We invite you to watch, listen, and read as they dig into the deep importance of the humanities in shaping their lives and understanding the world.

What are the humanities?

Why do they matter?

How have they made a difference in your life?

Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Poet, Dancer, Playwright

July 1, 2018
We are the Humanities

“What are the things that lead us to aspire to something greater?” Originally from New York, Bamuthi is the Chief of Program and Pedagogy at

George Takei, Actor, Author, Director, Activist

June 1, 2018
We are the Humanities

“Part of resilience is finding joy, finding beauty, finding love.” Takei is an actor, director, author and activist, best known for his role as

Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Chief Justice of California

May 1, 2018
We are the Humanities

“What humanities teaches you is that we are all of the human collective and that we all have a story.” Cantil-Sakauye is the 28th

Betty Reid Soskin, U.S. National Park Service Ranger

April 2, 2018
We are the Humanities

“It’s through the humanities that one learns empathy … access that great attribute which is empathy.” Born in Detroit, raised in New Orleans and

Tracy Fullerton, Game Designer

March 1, 2018
Blog, We are the Humanities

“It has become increasingly important for us to question how and why we do things.” Fullerton is an award-winning game designer, educator and author.

Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder-in-Residence of PolicyLink

February 1, 2018
Blog, We are the Humanities

“We are living in the nation’s future … in California, people of color are deciding the fate of the nation.” Blackwell started PolicyLink in

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