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On Resisting Reduction

Foreground Hub Gathering at Pere Marquette State Park

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Features
By Gabrielle Lyon, Executive Director

Read Time 2 minutes
November 23, 2024

In the days and weeks that have passed since our national election I've been seeing a lot of maps that illustrate Illinois as a "blue state" surrounded by "red states."  

These colors are oversimplifications - and they are erosive.  

There is no county or town or city in Illinois that is 100% "red" or "blue." Colors are not people. Geography is not people.

None of us are just one thing: not our vote; not our worst mistake; and not our most generous moment. We are all, together, so much more than reductive narratives try to tell us we are.

Our state is comprised of nearly 13 million people who are as diverse and complex as the fullness of America. 

ED Letter November AP Elections Results Map

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. 

ED Letter November Gerald Savage Presenting

Illinois Humanities Road Scholar Gerald Savage, HoChunk Native American, presenting.

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Illinois Humanities Program Manager for Statewide Engagement Matt Meacham and Road Scholar Chris Vallillo give an impromptu jam session at the Foreground Rural Initiative Hub gathering at Pere Marquette State Park.

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."