Media Alert: May 17 Illinois Humanities Honors Four Illinois Cultural Leaders at 2023 Public Humanities Awards

Contact: Sarah Sommers at Communications@ilhumanities.org | 773-251-4772

From Governor JB Pritzker:
“These four individuals reflect the best of Illinois’ creativity and hunger for knowledge, and I’m glad to see their stories uplifted by Illinois Humanities.”

Who: Illinois Humanities honoring humanists Tracie D. Hall, Stephanie Manriquez, Rebecca Ginsburg, and Alyson Thompson.

What: The 2023 Public Humanities Awards. Established in 1984, the Public Humanities Awards celebrate people who have made an indelible impact on our state through their work in and support of the humanities. This event is Illinois Humanities’ most important annual fundraiser, enabling the support of grants and free public humanities programs throughout Illinois.

When: May 17, 12:00 p.m. CST

Where: City Hall Chicago, 838 W. Kinzie, Chicago, IL 60642.
A livestream will be available for those unable to attend in person.

CHICAGO, May 15, 2023 

On May 17, 12:00 p.m. CST, Illinois Humanities will celebrate this year’s Public Humanities Awards to highlight the profound importance of stories – and access to them – at a time when the question of whose stories get told is at the center of a national conversation.

Illinois Humanities is presenting the Beacon Award to Tracie D. Hall, Executive Director of the American Library Association and a national champion for basic and digital literacy skills and equitable access to information for all.

In addition to Hall, three Illinois Humanities community partners who exemplify the humanities in action across the state will receive Public Humanities Awards: Chicago radio producer, journalist, and teaching artist Stephanie Manriquez, Executive Director of Contratiempo and Executive Producer of Lumpen Radio; Rebecca Ginsburg, Director of the Education Justice Project at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Co-Founder of the Illinois Coalition for Higher Education in Prison; and librarian, historian, and archivist, Alyson Thompson, Library Director of the Marshall Public Library in Marshall, Illinois.

“These four individuals reflect the best of Illinois’ creativity and hunger for knowledge, and I’m glad to see their stories uplifted by Illinois Humanities,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “All of these honorees have dedicated themselves to educating and enriching the public at a time when so many are taking refuge in ignorance, and I commend them for it.”

The 2023 Public Humanities Awards will take place on May 17, 12:00 CST, at City Hall Chicago, 838 W. Kinzie, Chicago, IL 60642. A livestream will be available for those unable to attend in person. Register to attend and contribute a donation at: www.ILHumanities.org/PHA.

There are additional sponsorship opportunities available. For more information about sponsorships, contact Morven Higgins at morven.higgins@ilhumanities.org.