Michigan Humanities

06/02/2026

The application for MI Museums opens in one week! Learn more about the three-year grant and training initiative for Michigan museums at our website: www.michiganhumanities.org/mi-museum-grants.

05/30/2026

This upcoming Friday, June 5, join the Lgbtq+ History Association and Ann Arbor District Library for a panel discussion about Detroit's q***r histories.

"Historical Perspectives on Q***r Detroit" will feature Curtis Chin reading from his memoir, Mix Mann presenting research on the life of the Detroit-based Black le***an activist Ruth Ellis, and Tim Retzloff reading from Come Out! In Detroit, a non-fiction comic book he co-created to tell the story of Michigan’s first Pride celebration held in 1972.

Find more details about this GMR Action Grant-funded event at: https://aadl.org/node/668602

05/29/2026

Congratulations to author Curtis Chin on the online PBS premiere of his new documentary, "Warren King: King of Cardboard"!

Watch the preview below and full 15-minute film here: https://www.pbs.org/video/warren-king-king-of-cardboard-kksmwm/

05/28/2026

Check out the latest essay from In Pursuit USA, a national project from More Perfect dedicated to history rooted in evidence, clarity, and integrity. Read on Substack: inpursuit.substack.com or reposted on our blog at michiganhumanities.org/blog.

Drew Gilpin Faust ( / / ) writes about James Buchanan as a president defined by experience, caution, and a belief that the country could be held together through careful management. The essay tracks Buchanan’s long resume before office, then his attempts to settle the slavery question through institutions, influence, and compromise, including his behind-the-scenes involvement with the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision. Read the full essay at the link in bio.

05/27/2026

We're accepting title suggestions for the next through the end of May! See the criteria and submit your suggestion at www.michiganhumanities.org/great-michigan-read/submit-a-title.

05/26/2026

We're excited to announce that the application for MI Museums, a three-year grant and training initiative aimed at Michigan museums, opens June 9. Learn more about the program, including applicant eligibility and program timeline, at our website: www.michiganhumanities.org/mi-museum-grants.

05/22/2026

Check out the latest essay from In Pursuit USA, a national project from More Perfect dedicated to history rooted in evidence, clarity, and integrity. Read on Substack: inpursuit.substack.com or reposted on our blog at michiganhumanities.org/blog.

Diana Carlin writes about Jane Pierce as a first lady shaped by grief, conviction, and a complicated relationship to power. Entering the White House after the death of her last surviving child, Jane withdrew from public life in ways that made her easy to dismiss.

The essay looks closer, following her private moral stance against slavery, her connections to the Kansas struggle, and the moments where she chose to intervene, even while resisting the public role the presidency demanded of her.

Read the full essay at the link in our bio.

05/21/2026

Thank you, Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest, for sharing these beautiful photos and videos from this year's national semifinals and finals!

Watch Michigan Poetry Out Loud State Champion Eliza Aldridge's recitations in the region two semifinals recording: https://youtu.be/H4n2_7yEKqw?si=85t-QQ_p0E6SvUuo

More videos from this year's national competition are available at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFeYW9T9Ff4STQbpvJRUrGZDUiU2XtjlD

05/20/2026

Check out the latest essay from In Pursuit USA, a national project from More Perfect dedicated to history rooted in evidence, clarity, and integrity. Read on Substack: inpursuit.substack.com or reposted on our blog at michiganhumanities.org/blog.

David Blight writes about Franklin Pierce as a president with deep experience who still misread the country he was trying to lead.

The essay traces Pierce’s rise from New Hampshire politics to the Senate and the Mexican War, then into a presidency overtaken by the accelerating fight over slavery. Centering on Kansas-Nebraska and the violence that followed, Pierce’s choices helped unravel the existing party system and harden sectional distrust.

Read the full essay: https://open.substack.com/pub/inpursuit/p/franklin-pierce-by-david-w-blight?r=6mmis5&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true