Originally published on July 14, 2016 in the Bangor Daily News “In 1868, Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution guaranteeing equality for all before the law. One central issue since that time has been the enfranchisement of women and their full participation and representation in politics—all the way to the highest office in… Read more

Read More

In examining the legacies of the Fourteenth Amendment for the nation’s literary history, this reading and discussion series looks at books that address issues of diversity, identity, and inequality in exploring how, for many Americans, the promise of citizenship falls short of their reality. Between the World And Me by Ta Nehisi Coates A Map… Read more

Read More

Originally published in the Forecaster on July 25, 2016 By Colin Ellis, Staff Writer “Maine Humanities Council, the state’s affiliate for the National Endowment for the Humanities, will facilitate a conversation to explore civil rights through both art and law at the Portland Museum of Art. Hayden Anderson, executive director of the MHC, said the… Read more

Read More

In February 2016, the Maine Humanities Council held Seeking Refuge: Understanding the Refugee and Asylum Process, a free, public, panel discussion that broke down the process here in Maine. Discussion touched on the screening that determines who can come to the U.S., the policies and laws supporting the process, and the everyday logistics of refugees… Read more

Read More

This is a recording of our public forum The 14th Amendment: A Living Document, held in partnership with the University of Maine School of Law on June 1, 2016, at Portland Public Library. The event was moderated by Danielle Conway, Dean of the University of Maine School of Law, and features guests Kenneth W. Mack, the… Read more

Read More

Patrick Rael, professor of history at Bowdoin College, discusses his latest book Eighty-Eight Years: The Long Death of Slavery in the United States, 1777-1865, which explores the Atlantic history of slavery to understand the exceptionally long period of time it took to end chattel bondage in America (you can read more about the project here)…. Read more

Read More

Originally published on June 19, 2016 in the Bangor Daily News. by Patrick Rael “Patrick Rael is professor of history at Bowdoin College and a project scholar for the Maine Humanities Council. Throughout 2016, the Maine Humanities Council will offer ways for Mainers to talk with one another about equality and inclusiveness, in commemoration of… Read more

Read More

$1,000 for “Anything Helps God Bless”- Snowlion Repertory Company “Anything Helps God Bless” will explore the panhandler/median-strip controversy in Portland through actual interviews with sign-bearers, research into court rulings, documented public reaction to the controversy, and the ‘due process’ aspect of the 14th Amendment, woven together into a theater piece.   $1,000 for “Created Equal”- University of Maine at… Read more

Read More

Originally aired on May 17, 2016 Join guests Kenneth W. Mack, Lawrence D. Biele Professor of Law and Affiliate Professor of History at Harvard University, and Patrick Rael, Professor of History at Bowdoin College, as they discuss the historical and contemporary significance of the 14th Amendment on MPBN Maine Calling. Passed 150 years ago, the 14th Amendment ensures… Read more

Read More

Originally published in the Bangor Daily News on May 15, 2016 By Hayden Anderson “Equality is a bedrock American value, yet somehow it feels like we’re not very good at it. From the founding to the present day, we have always talked pretty well about equality while falling well short of the ideal. It’s worth… Read more

Read More

Join the Maine Humanities Council, the University of Maine School of Law, and the Portland Museum of Art on August 11 for an intimate conversation between artist David Driskell and lawyer Melvyn Zarr, facilitated by Danielle Conway, Dean of the Maine School of Law, on the civil rights movement as filtered through the lenses of… Read more

Read More

This event is now full. If you would like to place your name on a waiting list, please contact Karen at info@mainehumanities.org or 773-5051. Join the Maine Humanities Council and the University of Maine School of Law for a conversation about the Fourteenth Amendment between Kenneth Mack (Harvard) and David Blight (Yale), moderated by Danielle… Read more

Read More

We’re psyched to get going with Think & Drink in 2016! It may not get the amount of press that the 150th anniversary of the Civil War did, but this year is also the 150th anniversary–of the 14th Amendment, one of the “Reconstruction Amendments” that helped to reshape the United States’ political terrain. The 14th Amendment,… Read more

Read More