SLCHS Awarded Minnesota Humanities Center Grant
The St. Louis County Historical Society is pleased to announce it has been chosen as a recipient of a Minnesota Humanities Center grant that will focus on the Minnesota Remembers Vietnam discussion.
Duluth is one of six communities around the state that will host events and activities aimed at remembering the war in Vietnam and Southeast Asia through the power of the humanities. The St. Louis County Historical Society will schedule events throughout the county to welcome everyone willing to participate in discussions. The other organizations and communities awarded the grant include Charles Lindbergh House and Museum, Little Falls; HomeFront Resource Center, St. Cloud; Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead; The SEAD Project, Minneapolis, MN; and SGU Veterans and Families of USA Inc., St. Paul.
“We are very excited and honored to be chosen as a host site for the Humanities Center grant. We are working on plans for four to six events throughout the year that will focus on bringing those affected by the Vietnam War together, having open discussions and hopefully gathering the absent narratives surrounding the war,” said Pippi Mayfield, who serves as program assistant for the Historical Society's Veterans Memorial Hall Program and who will be heading up the events.
As evidenced by the conversations sparked by the Ken Burns and Lynn Novick “The Vietnam War” documentary, the war in Vietnam and Southeast Asia left an indelible mark on millions of people. The Minnesota Humanities Center and Twin Cities PBS (TPT) hope these host communities will convene meaningful gatherings to honor the diversity of stories and experiences around this conflict and understand our shared humanity through lasting relationships between Veteran and non-Veteran community members.
“The Minnesota Remembers Vietnam discussion series is a perfect example of how we use the power of the humanities to strengthen connections and our shared humanity in Minnesota,” said Minnesota Humanities Center President David O’Fallon. “These host sites will build awareness, honor personal relationships to war, and engage critically with historical events in their local communities; all of which is truly the work of the humanities. I am excited to see what events and activities the host sites develop to move narratives of the war in Vietnam and Southeast Asia forward for Minnesotans.”
“In addition to building relationships and hosting these gatherings, the St. Louis Historical Society's goal is to increase our collection of stories through our Oral History Program,” Mayfield said. “It’s very important to us to preserve as many veterans’ stories as possible for future generations and research opportunities.”
The Society will reveal more details on the 2018 events in March after more planning and training has taken place.
