Recently, my son and I were discussing a philosophical point about a landmark in our hometown, and he offered some perspective that shed light on a cultural context for that landmark. It struck me how often the humanities play an important role in everyday life. This is so often reinforced for me when I talk with our grantees and program partners, who carry out such important work, often to under served audiences whose voices aren’t always included in important community dialogues. Recently, we convened our Heritage grantees, and it was illuminating to hear what was accomplished with our W.K. Kellogg Foundation partnership. The voices came through loud and clear, and we look forward to the future of humanities and social change. The photos to the left reflect the people who played such important roles in this work.

The Michigan Humanities will soon be announcing a new round of grants. We've worked hard to be strong advocates for humanities funding, and our Board of Directors is cognizant of the need to be strategic in our work. I hope you enjoy this May Enews, and that your community enjoys the value of humanities today.