Preserving stories is as important today as it has ever been, says Nashid Madyun, executive director of Florida Humanities.
This allows young people, and adults, to learn about how the humanities shape everyday lives. More so, how they can be a catalyst for change and a more inclusive future.
What are humanities?
The term refers to the study of literature, history, language, religion, the arts, jurisprudence, philosophy, archaeology and ethics. Florida Humanities, a nonprofit organization, was created in 1973 as a part of the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act.
The act, which was signed into law in 1965 by President Lyndon Johnson, was established to support the humanities nationwide, and ultimately led to the development of humanities councils in each state.
Originally known as the Florida Humanities Council, the organization provides funding to museums, libraries and historical societies. Since its inception, more than $20 million in grants have been awarded.
Storytelling is a key part of what the organization does, Madyun explained.
Florida Humanities sponsors educational events including speaker series, film viewings, walking tours, book festivals and panel discussions for various partnering organizations.
“There’s 23 million Floridians and there’s no way a staff of five can reach that, but we do have the resources and a network of scholars, a network of professionals and we can position them to help museums, libraries and historical societies be great,” Madyun said.
Its main goal is to ensure that every Floridian has access to the humanities. As a result, it often collaborates with other cultural organizations around the state that have limited resources, to ensure stories can be told.
“We do work with organizations before they apply,” he explained. “We answer their questions and make sure they have the resources so that they’re competitive, because those are where some of those underserved stories are, in communities that may have one library or museum with one employee that’s doing everything.
“That doesn’t mean the stories are not worthy to be shared, but they just don’t have the capacity to be competitive and we try to bridge that gap,” he added.
Florida Humanities also publishes FORUM Magazine three times a year. The outlet is another way to support the organization’s mission, Madyun said.
“There are 67 counties in the state of Florida so inevitably, we’re going to come across some stories in some parts of the state that would never be mentioned or told,” he explained. “FORUM Magazine is an opportunity for us to not only tell those stories but do a deep dive.”
Each issue discusses the state’s history and culture.
For the Florida Humanities team, it’s all about connecting individuals with one another. This gives people of all ages a better understanding of the traditions that have shaped families and communities.
“[We get to] uncover stories that communities or neighborhoods only knew themselves and share it with other parts of Florida,” Madyun added.
FORUM Magazine articles will soon be available to students. “It’s great if they can make it to the classroom and so we’re going through some of the key articles, over time, and placing them with questions [for students],” he said.
Additionally, Florida Humanities has launched an anonymous letter campaign called Dear Stranger, Madyun explained. This will give people the ability to hear each other’s stories while keeping letter writing alive.
Prompts will be included in the FORUM Magazine and on the nonprofit’s website.
“The art of letter writing is fleeting, but it’s an avenue to bring passion to what you believe in,” Madyun added. “It can be therapeutic or cathartic but also, sharing memories and getting the memories from somebody else is a lot of fun.”
The Florida Humanities team works every day to keep stories preserved for the next generations. They know that learning history can help dictate the future. More so, everyone deserves to have their story told and that is at the heart of the organization’s mission.
To learn more about Florida Humanities and its programs, visit floridahumanities.org.