The honorees include librarians, a journalist, and an educator who are transforming communities across Illinois through the public humanities.
CHICAGO, IL-(Effingham Radio)- On May 17, 12:00 CST, Illinois Humanities will be celebrating this year’s Public Humanities Awards and 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 activist 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.
“Advocating for access and inclusion – through libraries, through the arts, through economic and community development – is not something I took on, it was something I was born into. Equity and fairness were central values in my family. Coming to Chicago twenty years ago gave me the opportunity to work alongside people across the state who understand that the arts and humanities are strengthened to the degree that they are accessible and reflective of all our histories
and experiences,” Hall said. “It is both humbling and energizing to be honored by the community of thinkers, makers, and doers that I so deeply respect and whose work has guided and anchored mine.”
The honorees 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.
“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 annual Public Humanities Awards event celebrates people who have made an indelible impact on the state of Illinois through their work and support of the humanities. This year’s awardees join other leaders recognized by Illinois Humanities since 1984, including Eve Ewing, Dawoud Bey, Jeanne Gang, and Tonika Lewis Johnson.
“I can’t think of a more timely and impactful group of honorees to acknowledge this year,” said GABRIELLE LYON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF
ILLINOIS HUMANITIES. “At a time when books are being banned, histories are being censored, and people who are incarcerated are kept from reading, these awardees have worked to create and protect the ‘windows and mirrors’ we all need to be part of a just society .”
Illinois Humanities will host the awards in-person for the first time in four years at City Hall/Recess [2], an event space located in Chicago’s West Loop. The event will provide a chance for attendees to meet the honorees, learn about how the humanities are strengthening the state, and celebrate in community with fellow humanists in a post-awards reception.
The event is co-chaired by Illinois Humanities Board Members Mea Konopasek, Vice President of Commercial Banking at BMO Harris Bank, and civic leader Jennifer Wirtz. Early lead sponsors of the 2023 Public Humanities Awards include Northwestern University’s Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Chicago, the American Library Association, and Susan Eleuterio and Tom Sourlis.
Established in 1984, Illinois Humanities’ Public Humanities Awards ceremony celebrates people who have made an indelible impact on our state through their work in and support of the humanities. The event serves as Illinois Humanities’ cornerstone annual fundraiser. All contributions support Illinois Humanities’ mission to provide free, high-quality humanities experiences throughout Illinois, particularly for communities of color, individuals living on low incomes, counties and towns in rural areas, small arts and cultural organizations, and communities highly impacted by mass incarceration.
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.or
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