Humanity 101: Promoting Fundamental Human Values
In this episode of Phoenix Business Radio, host Karen Nowicki welcomes Neal Lester, the founding director of Project Humanities at ASU, to discuss the initiative’s mission of fostering understanding through conversations on societal issues like menstrual equity and body positivity. Neal highlights Project Humanities’ engagement with communities to address current events and systemic issues such as racism and social justice through inclusive dialogue and interdisciplinary approaches, aiming to bridge divides and promote empathy.
In the latter part of the interview, Karen and Neal stress the need for diverse conversations to avoid echo chambers, with Neal emphasizing the value of accountability and challenging discussions, especially after incidents like George Floyd’s murder. They discuss Project Humanities’ collaborations with businesses and community outreach, including events like “Hacks for Humanity,” and the inclusive nature of Humanity 101®, inviting wider participation.
Project Humanities, at Arizona State University, is a multiple award-winning initiative that brings together individuals and communities to “talk, listen, and connect.”
Facilitated community conversations take place in various formats–film screenings and discussions, lectures and keynotes, panels, workshops, symposia, and performances.
Conversation topics have included: menstrual equity, banned books, inclusive bathrooms and fear of diversity, white women dismantling white supremacy, history of HBCUs, Indigenous rock music, social justice beyond books through ‘things and stuff,’ dispelling myths about beauty queens, dispelling myths about drag kings and queens, food and identity, Sikhism 101, body positivity, modern-day voter suppression, body neutrality, Black parenting and spanking, parenting across cultures, youth mental health and academic pressures, harm reduction, birthing justice, and the “radical” MLK.
Additionally, Project Humanities–founded in 2011–has coordinated for 10 of these years an outreach to people experiencing homelessness in downtown Phoenix. This organization distributes clothes, shoes, and toiletries to over 200 adults with intergenerational, multi-professional volunteers from across the Valley.
Their annual “Hacks for Humanity: Hacking for the Social Good,” has for 10 years, brought non-techies and techies to create technology solutions to pressing social issues. Combining entrepreneurship, humanities, and business, this unique community-building event is multigenerational and multi-professional.
Dr. Neal A. Lester is a Foundation Professor of English and Founding Director of Project Humanities at Arizona State University.
With specialties in African American literature and culture, Dr. Lester has published 9 books on topics ranging from Zora Neale Hurston to ntozake shange to African American Children’s Literature.
He is nationally and internationally known for his creation of the first US course on the nword, for his extensive public humanities work on cultural appropriation, and for his DEI work on everday lessons in privilege and bias that go beyond diversity.
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