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Bill Goodman: On golden anniversary for Kentucky Humanities, here’s to 50 years of telling Ky’s story


Kentucky Humanities is 50 years young.

Since 1972, Kentucky Humanities has been dedicated to Telling Kentucky’s Story through programs and services that create immense pride in our common culture and heritage, our civic engagement and civil discourse, and local humanities events that make us who we un-mistakenly are: Kentuckians. For 50 years Kentucky Humanities has worked to develop and support humanities programs based in knowledge, insight, and inherent respect, that enable each of us to take part in the learning, sharing, and teaching of one another, and building strong communities throughout the Commonwealth.

Bill Goodman

Over the past 50 years, Kentucky Humanities has supported humanities events in all 120 counties, delivering more than 15,000 programs across Kentucky and reaching more than 5 million people. That pledge we made 50 years ago steers our efforts today. To celebrate this milestone in our organization we’re inviting all Kentuckians to join in the events we’ve planned for 2022. By visiting kyhumanities.org you can be part of Kentucky’s story, our collective story.

We are thrilled to bring our 50th-anniversary celebration to Northern Kentucky University with Laureates Out Loud featuring U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo and Kentucky Poet Laureate Crystal Wilkinson. Eric H. Kearney, President/CEO of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce and President of the Northern Kentucky University Foundation will moderate what is sure to be a fascinating conversation.

Our longstanding relationship with NKU and the greater Northern Kentucky region in the form of extraordinary leadership from board members from the NKU faculty, Crittenden, Walton, Williamstown, and Villa Hills, gave us the assurance that this special event would be met with enthusiasm and support. We are grateful to have such wonderful partners and participants from this vibrant and vital part of the state.

For those of you who have yet to experience our programs, we hope that you’ll talk to your neighbors and friends who may have and join our mail list for updates on when and where we’ll be in your backyard. Our long history in the Northern Kentucky community, whether through Prime Time Family Reading at Walton Verona Elementary School, School Days author visits at Gallatin County Elementary School, Kentucky Chautauqua presentations at General Butler State Park, Kentucky Reads book discussions at Roebling Point Books & Coffee, Speakers Bureau programs at the Kenton County Public Library, Kentucky Humanities magazine delivered to mailboxes throughout the region, grants awarded to the Behringer-Crawford Museum, or Smithsonian exhibits at the Campbell County Public Library, remind us of the continued support our programs have received from you and for which we are grateful.

Here’s to 50 years. May our partnership in humanities-based services and programs and the dedication we have built across the decades continue on for the next 50.

Bill Goodman is executive director of Kentucky Humanities


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