On Resisting Reduction

Embracing complexity is a skill. It's a skill that the public humanities helps us to practice. It's a skill that centers our work at Illinois Humanities.  

Our Road Scholars - like Gerald Savage, who shares the culture and history of the HoChunk nation, and Aaron Lawler, who guides participants to consider the most human of questions “Who am I?”, “Why am I here?”, “What does it all mean?” - visit towns throughout the state. Envisioning Justice uses art and humanities created by people impacted by mass incarceration as a jumping-off point for helping groups imagine a truly just future. Foreground Rural Initiative hubs create opportunities for their communities to connect, learn, and grow through the arts and humanities. 

As I travel throughout Illinois in the months ahead, I won't be asking questions like, "Are we red or are we blue? How did we get this way?"  Instead, I'm going to be wondering what we can do at Illinois Humanities to help people to engage beyond boundaries rather than retreat into the familiar.

And, for myself, personally, I'll be keeping two ideas close at hand:

The first is my sense of purpose: access to the humanities is critical for us to be able to develop the wisdom and vision our society requires. 

The second is a reminder:  the simple act of resisting reduction is a powerful commitment to the idea of a democracy comprised of "We the People."