Historical Society Receives NEH Grant

June 19, 2013
NEH Logo MASTER_082010

Earlier this month, The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded the Wisconsin Historical Society a public programming grant for as part of a special project titled  Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle, part of the NEH’s  Bridging Cultures  initiative.  

Grantees across the nation will receive a series of four films on Civil Rights history as well as programming resources that can be used to guide public conversations about the changing meanings of freedom and equality in U.S. history.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has chosen to show each film in conjunction with a conversation moderated by a UW faculty member.

State Archivist Matt Blessing says, “The programming will be a nice tie-in with Professor Will Jones’ upcoming presentation (“Wisconsin and ‘The March on Washington’ ”), scheduled for Monday, August 26, and also help with the build-up for Freedom Summer anniversary programming that we’re planning in 2014.”

Although the final schedule has yet to be determined, the WHS anticipates that they will be able to host these films this coming fall or early 2014.   Faculty moderators are already in place for each film:

  • Andrew  Kahrl, Marquette University (“The Abolitionists”)
  • Will Jones,  UW-Madison (“Slavery By Another Name”)
  • Edward Schmidt, UW-Parkside (“Freedom Riders”)
  • Tonya Brito, UW-Madison Law School (“Loving v. Virginia”)

Evening screenings will be held for each film at Wisconsin Historical Society auditorium, and Jennifer Kolb and Matt Blessing plan to schedule noon hour screenings of the films at the Wisconsin Historical Society Museum as well.  Stay tuned for official schedules!