Announcing the 2019 LEH Rebirth Grants awardees
Through its Rebirth Grants program, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities has funded projects that provide access to the humanities to Louisiana residents across the state. In September the LEH received 53 applications for the 2019 Rebirth Grants opportunity. A grants review committee of LEH board members, scholars, and staff selected 17 projects in 13 parishes for a total of $59,048 in awards. The LEH congratulates the recipients and looks forward to their work documenting and celebrating the history and culture of Louisiana.
The Chahta Tribe, Nation of Islam, and South Asians: Preserving the History of the First Mosque in Louisiana
The East-West Foundation
$5,000; St. Tammany Parish
This project will document the history of the Slidell mosque through oral histories and archival research as well as digitization of communal archives.
History Mystery Theater
St. James Parish Library
$1,250; St. James Parish
The library will facilitate research, development, and execution of a public history lecture disguised as dinner theater. Scholars and local history organizations will scour local archives and lore in order to present the History Mystery Theater.
The Archaeology of the Natchez Indians
Concordia Parish Library
$600; Concordia Parish
The Concordia Parish Library will host a lecture, “The Archaeology of the Natchez Indians,” with speakers “Smokye” Joe Franks and Dr. Pete Gregory.
Theo Tobiasse Exhibition and Educational Programming
Twin City Art Foundation
$4,250; Ouachita Parish
The Masur Museum will present an exhibition of lithographs and other types of printmaking by the late artist Theo Tobiasse, with programming including lectures, a film series, and a printmaking workshop.
In Pursuit of Equal Justice: Race and Criminal Justice in Louisiana from Jim Crow to Criminal Justice Reform
LA State Penitentiary Museum Foundation, Inc.
$4,000; West Feliciana Parish
The Angola Museum is researching the intersections of race and criminal justice in Louisiana, with an emphasis on the roles played by the Department of Corrections and the state penitentiary.
Prospect.5
Prospect New Orleans
$4,762; Orleans Parish
Prospect.5 will feature a 2020 scholar-in-residence at Amistad Research Center, where they will produce an archival installation and present a series of public events.
Jeanmard Historical Lecture Series
Creating Communities in the Diocese of Lafayette: A Historical Look at a Diverse Population in Faith
Museum of the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist
$1,050; Lafayette Parish
This lecture series will highlight the history and contributions of the various ethnic groups that are part of the Catholic faith community of the Diocese of Lafayette.
The Gift of Dialogue: Conversations on Racial Justice
Calcasieu Parish Public Library d.b.a. Friends of the Library, Calcasieu
$3,500; Calcasieu Parish
The Calcasieu Public Library will host two public events featuring Debby Irving, author of Waking Up White, addressing ways to recognize divides and improve communication.
Frank Hayden Exhibition
Louisiana Art and Science Museum, Inc.
$5,000; East Baton Rouge Parish
This exhibition and programming will examine the legacy of sculptor Frank Hayden (1934–1988), one of Louisiana’s most preeminent sculptors.
34th Annual Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival
Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival
$4,000; Orleans Parish
The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival, the largest, oldest literary event in New Orleans, comprises theater, master classes, a writing marathon, tours, readings, and panel discussions.
Determined to Rise: The Woman’s Suffrage Movement in Louisiana
Southeastern Louisiana University
$3,966; Tangipahoa Parish
This project will develop a traveling exhibition examining the challenges and triumphs of the woman’s suffrage movement in Louisiana.
Louisiana Book Festival
Louisiana Library and Book Festival Foundation
$4,000; East Baton Rouge Parish
The Louisiana Book Festival features over 220 authors and panelists presenting book talks or participating in discussions, as well as an abundance of book-related activities.
Letters Read
Press Street (d.b.a. Antenna)
$2,375; Orleans and Lafayette Parishes
Trained presenters will interpret letters written by culturally vital individuals throughout Louisiana history, highlighting their private thoughts, personal philosophies, and feelings.
Oral Histories of Desegregation in Caddo Parish
The Bishop Blue Foundation
$5,000; Caddo Parish
This project will create a radio documentary based on a collection of oral histories from alumni of four Caddo Parish high schools with distinct desegregation stories.
Aftermath of World War I
Ascension Parish Library
$1,295; Ascension Parish
Ascension Parish Library plans a series of reading and discussion sessions on the aftermath of World War I, supported by Margaret MacMillan’s book Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World.
A Scholarly Presentation in Lecture and Music: Solomon Northup in the Central Louisiana Sugarhouse
CreativeSurge Louisiana
$5,000; Rapides Parish
Creative Surge Louisiana will prepare an original scholarly lecture and publication detailing how music and sugarmills affected Solomon Northup during his enslavement.
Producing New Research for the Hilliard Museum’s Exhibition Acadian Brown Cotton: The Fabric of Acadiana
University of Louisiana at Lafayette, The Hilliard University Art Museum
$4,000; Lafayette Parish
The Hilliard University Art Museum will present an interdisciplinary exhibition on the historical significance and cultural impact of the Acadian brown cotton tradition.