Celebrate the power of stories, art and ideas at Humanities Action Day, Nov. 14

Wayne State University will host Humanities Action Day on Friday, Nov. 14, a campuswide celebration of the ideas, creativity and stories that shape our communities. The free, daylong event invites students, educators, artists and community members to explore how the humanities - literature, history, philosophy, language, art and more - help people connect, create and make meaning in a changing world.

Amid growing concern over federal cuts to arts and humanities funding, the event serves as both a rally and a reminder of how deeply these fields influence everyday life.

Attendees can expect engaging speakers, interactive workshops, advocacy activities and opportunities to meet local cultural partners and creators.

Keynote speakers include U.S. Congressman Shri Thanedar and Dr. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, associate dean for research and graduate studies, College of Arts & Letters and university distinguished professor of English and digital humanities, Michigan State University.

Highlights will include short "soapbox" talks, a humanities fair, and a showing of The Elephant (In My Room), a documentary about Detroit artist Barbara Greene Mann, who rose to prominence through Detroit's Cass Corridor arts movement.

"We need the humanities now more than ever," said Jaime Goodrich, director of the Humanities Center and chair of the Department of English at Wayne State. "They help us understand what it means to be human, understand different perspectives, and imagine what a better future could look like. The humanities are about all of us and for all of us, and that's what this day is all about."

Registration is free and includes lunch. For more information, contact Victoria Stewart, assistant director of the Humanities Center, at [email protected].