This summer, I have participated in training workshops led by the Harwood Institute. Sponsored by the Community Foundation for Mississippi, the workshops are designed to help Jackson community members work together to solve shared problems.

 

Central to the work of the Harwood Institute is the idea of individuals and organizations "turning outward." This core philosophy stresses engaging communities, establishing true partnerships, and focusing on the expressed needs of people. Instead of simply providing programs to a community, a turned outward organization establishes connections with community partners, listens to their needs, and co-creates programs that make a difference.

 

Since this training, I've thought a lot about the work of the Mississippi Humanities Council and the ways we are turned inward and outward. We have learned the hard way that inward-facing programming doesn't work. We have also learned that outward-facing programs are very time and labor intensive. Last year, our assistant director, Carol Andersen, worked with different communities to develop humanities-based discussion programs about racial divides as part of a larger project supported by the Kettering Foundation. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, Carol spent a lot of time working with our partners to develop the topic that best served the local community. In Tupelo, this became a series of discussions about the racial disparity in AP course enrollment in high school. In Cleveland, it became about how to make Delta State more welcoming to Black students. In both instances, the work was rewarding, but slow and intensive.

 

The philosophy of "turning outward" resonates with me because I see the Mississippi Humanities Council as essentially in service to the people of our state. Although we are a private nonprofit organization, our mission has always been focused on serving Mississippians through the humanities. For this reason, partnerships are at the heart of our work. If we were not turned outward, we would have nowhere near the reach and impact that we do.

This "turning outward" also explains our commitment to grantmaking. We take pride in being a transparent, accessible, and responsive grantmaker. We always prefer to work closely with our grantees, helping them strengthen their programs. The centrality of grantmaking in our work speaks to a basic humility: we don't have all of the good ideas for public humanities programs. Instead, using our grant funds, we try to foster and support the creativity of our community partners.

 

Admittedly, this focus on partnership is especially challenging during this COVID-era. Typically, my staff and I are travelling around the state, meeting with people about program ideas and the ways in which the MHC can support their work. Frankly, it's one my favorite parts of the job. But since early March, we have all been stuck at home, with occasional forays into our offices. We have had to rely on phone calls and Zoom to create and sustain our key relationships. This hasn't been easy. Yet even as we remain isolated in Jackson, our work is continuing around the state.

While so many of us have had to self-isolate, we realize the importance of human connection. As we continue to socially distance, let us nurture our desire to connect and turn ourselves and our organizations outward so we can work together to improve our communities.