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AHA welcomes two new Board members

February 4, 2026 — The Alabama Humanities Alliance welcomes Nick Lawkis, of Mobile, and Barney Lovelace, J.D., of Decatur, to its volunteer Board of Directors. Lawkis and Lovelace were appointed to the Board by Governor Kay Ivey; gubernatorial appointees comprise up to 25% of AHA’s Board.

“We are grateful to Gov. Ivey for appointing Nick and Barney to join our Board of Directors,” says Chuck Holmes, AHA’s executive director. “Their distinct areas of expertise — not to mention their passion for Alabama’s history, law, arts, and culture — will help AHA continue to serve this state well through the humanities.”

Governor Ivey’s appointments became official on January 28. Lawkis and Lovelace will be introduced at AHA’s first Board meeting of the year on February 6.

 

Nick Lawkis
Nick Lawkis

As vice president of government relations for the University of South Alabama, Nick Lawkis covers all aspects of local, state, and federal relations, including for the University and its health system, USA Health. With a total annual revenue of over $2 billion and nearly 12,000 employees, the university is one of the largest employers in the Gulf Coast region.

In addition to his duties at South Alabama, Lawkis serves as chair of the Council of University Governmental Affairs Representatives, representing all four-year universities in Alabama. His professional contributions have earned him distinguished recognition, including being named to Mobile Bay Magazine’s “40 Under 40” and graduating from the Alabama Leadership Initiative program.

“It is an honor to receive this appointment from Governor Ivey to join the good work of the Alabama Humanities Alliance,” Lawkis says. “After visiting with Chuck and learning even more about the mission and impact of AHA statewide, I’m thrilled to lend my support.”

Lawkis is married to Kim (Proctor) Lawkis, chief operating officer of Feeding Alabama. They have two children, who they enjoy taking to a pair of nearby historical sites at the USS Alabama and Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island.

 

Barney Lovelace
Barney Lovelace

A Brewton native and longtime Decatur resident, Barney Lovelace has spent his career deeply involved in both the legal profession and civic engagement. He is currently senior partner at Harris, Caddell & Shanks, P.C., the oldest law firm in Decatur. He has served as president of the Morgan County Bar Association and is a graduate of Leadership Alabama, Class XIX.

Lovelace has served on the numerous boards, including the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce and as chair of the Decatur Morgan Hospital Foundation. He and his wife Noel are also dedicated supporters of the arts and humanities in Decatur, serving as patrons of the Princess Theatre, the Carnegie Visual Arts Center, River Clay Fine Arts Festival, and the Alabama Center for the Arts.

“I’m excited to join the board of the Alabama Humanities Alliance because I believe stories matter,” Lovelace says. “They’re how we know where we come from and how we figure out where we’re headed. Like the land and traditions we pass down, our history and culture need care if they’re going to last. AHA does that kind of good, steady work, and I want to help make sure Alabama’s stories are kept alive and told right.”

 

2026 Board leadership

Robbie McGhee, of Atmore, will serve his second year as chair of AHA’s board of directors in 2026. McGhee is an enrolled member of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, and has been an advocate for Native American issues at all levels of government. He is in his fifth term on the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Tribal Council.

The rest of AHA’s 2025 board’s leadership includes:

 

 

 

 

Meet AHA’s full Board of Directors.

 

Thanking former Board members

In 2025, four Board members completed their service on AHA’s Board of Directors. The Alabama Humanities Alliance, its staff, its grant recipients, and Alabamians statewide were beneficiaries of the good work of:

 

 

 

 

About the Alabama Humanities Alliance
Founded in 1974, the nonprofit and nonpartisan Alabama Humanities Alliance has served as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Through our grantmaking and public programming, we promote lifelong learning, impactful storytelling, and civic engagement. We believe the humanities can bring Alabamians together and help us better understand the communities we call home.

Keeping the humanities alive in 2025

Above: An AHA grant funded artist interviews and talks at Dothan’s Wiregrass Museum of Art.

 

January 21, 2026 — Last May, a literacy group brought an award-winning children’s author (and hundreds of her books) to Birmingham elementary schools — fostering a love for reading and learning in local students.

Last August, the Alabama Genealogical Society’s summer seminar in Gadsden gathered folks from around the state to learn how to research their family history — and connect their own stories to Alabama’s.

And in December, a church in Mobile launched an effort to publicly document the history of Alabama’s Presbyterian women — highlighting their contributions to our state’s culture and literature.

What do these community projects have in common? They were among 36 statewide recipients of grant funding from the Alabama Humanities Alliance in 2025.

“Our AHA grant award was vital to the success of our festival and strengthened our museum’s ability to serve our community through arts and cultural programming,” says Kelly McKenzie, of the Monroe County Heritage Museum, which received an AHA grant for its 2025 Monroeville Literary Festival.

“This funding allowed us to offer meaningful, engaging experiences that would not have been possible otherwise — especially in a rural area with limited access to arts resources. Without AHA support, many of our initiatives would simply not reach the scope or quality our audiences deserve.”

 

Meet AHA’s 2025 grantees.

 

Grantmaking in a challenging year

AHA’s grantmaking declined sharply in 2025, due to an unexpected loss of federal funding that occurred in April. Following a nearly two-month pause, support from individual and institutional donors helped AHA bring back its Mini Grants for the rest of the year.

Students received books from an AHA-funded literacy program led by STAIR Birmingham.

In total across 2025, AHA awarded just over $83,000 in Mini Grants to fund 36 public projects. In contrast, with level funding in 2024, AHA was able to fund 65 public programs across the state, providing $380,000 in Mini, Major, and Media Grants combined.

“For more than 50 years, AHA’s grantmaking has been the backbone of our work across Alabama,” says Chuck Holmes, executive director of the Alabama Humanities Alliance. “These grants support locally developed public programs that help Alabamians discover more about our shared past, and consider our present and future, together. It pained us to have less funding available this past year for grantmaking. We know it hurt local nonprofits and cultural institutions statewide who rely on us for this type of support.”

Indeed, AHA remains the primary source of funding for humanities-based public programming in the state. In a 2024 survey of our grant recipients, 90% said their public programming would not have been possible without AHA’s support.

AHA grant recipients include community cornerstones and education-based nonprofits, such as libraries, museums, historic sites and historic societies, universities, arts and culture organizations, literary organizations, chambers of commerce, and more. Artists, filmmakers, and other creatives often rely on AHA Media Grants, too, for producing Alabama-focused documentaries, podcasts, and other digital media.

“While we wish our capacity had been greater in 2025,” says Holmes, “we are beyond grateful to our donors who helped us survive 2025 and helped us keep supporting humanities-rich public programming in as many communities as possible.”

In Gadsden for the Alabama Genealogical Society’s AHA-funded 2025 summer seminar.

AHA-funded local programming in 2025 included oral history projects; literary and film festivals; literacy programs; folklife celebrations; religious studies; moderated conversations on art, music, and books; explorations of Alabama’s natural history and civil rights legacy; and local storytelling via documentaries, podcasts, and more.

AHA’s Mini Grants, which offer up to $2,500 for humanities-rich programming across the state, are once again available in 2026; Major Grants (up to $10,000) and Media Grants (up to $15,000) remain suspended, as AHA seeks to secure sustainable, long-term funding for these opportunities.

 

2025 grant-funded project examples

Alabama Coal Miners Digital Archive
The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa
This project gives Alabama coal miners the chance to share their memories — and artifacts — as part of a project to preserve our state’s coal mining history. Organized by the University of Alabama’s Department of History, this project will also give miners the chance to scan, and preserve, artifacts like photos, letters, mining lamps, helmets, lunch buckets, and more.

 

Alabama Folk Podcast, Season Four
Alabama Folklife Association | Statewide (Mobile)
Alabama Folk explores Alabama’s many cultures and traditions and engages statewide audiences in Alabama folklife. The podcast features deep interviews with Alabama artists who carry on traditions passed down through the generations or shared in community. Season Four showcases artists diverse in experience, artform, and geography.

 

Deep Roots, Strong Souls: Anniston’s Black Heritage Documentary
Public Library of Anniston-Calhoun County | Anniston
The history of Anniston runs deep, but often overlooked are the contributions of Anniston’s Black population in the growth of the city. The goal of this project is to create a documentary utilizing Library resources (photos, oral histories, research materials) and have an experienced videographer, Neal “Buddy” Vickers, create a documentary on the subject to be shown at the Library as a program during February 2026 for Black History Month.

 

InChoir: Conversations about Choral Music, the Arts, and Life- Season Three
Troy University | Troy
The podcast, “InChoir: Conversations about Choral Music, the Arts and Life,” goes directly to choral composers to learn how they explore sound, universal texts, and shared human experiences in their choral compositions — to hear the “stories behind their songs.” AHA funding assists in the production of Season 3 and helps expand our outreach in social media and print publications within the Music Education and/or Choral Music fields in Alabama and beyond.

 

The Invisible Hand of Diplomacy: Shaping Our World
Global Ties Alabama | Huntsville
Celebrating 60 years of service, Global Ties Alabama partners with the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training to bring an engaging U.S. diplomatic exhibit to Alabama. The exhibit highlights key diplomatic moments in U.S. history, while a complementary “Century of Service” presentation by a seasoned Foreign Service Officer delves into the personal — often unheard — stories of diplomats, revealing the power of human connection in shaping our world.

 

Lunch & Learn Series on History of Hartselle and Morgan County
Hartselle Historical Society | Hartselle
The Hartselle Historical Society’s 2026 Lunch & Learn Series will bring in knowledgeable local historians to speak about the people, places, and events that have shaped this community. Presenters will include archivists, curators and directors of historical repositories, local educators and historians, businessmen, and members of founding families who will weave a picture of Hartselle’s history from before its official incorporation to the present.

 

Monroeville Literary Festival – 2025
Monroe County Heritage Museum | Monroeville
The Monroeville Literary Festival is a two-day event hosted by the Monroe County Heritage Museum. The 2025 festival features honorees Cassandra King and Suzanne Hudson. Visitors from across the state and beyond attend the event, notonly to meet authors and hear their stories, but also for the real Monroeville experience of walking in the footsteps of Monroeville’s famous authors. Visitors attend lectures, book reviews, workshops, and book signings.

 

Learn more about all our 2025 grant recipients.

 

About the Alabama Humanities Alliance
Founded in 1974, the nonprofit and nonpartisan Alabama Humanities Alliance has served as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Through our grantmaking and public programming, we promote lifelong learning, impactful storytelling, and civic engagement. We believe the humanities can bring Alabamians together and help us better understand the communities we call home.

Remembering the Hon. Sally Greenhaw

Above: Judge Sally Greenhaw receives an honor at the 2022 Alabama Colloquium in Montgomery.

 

January 8, 2026 — The Alabama Humanities Alliance is mourning the loss of one of its longtime friends and most ardent supporters, the Hon. Sally M. Greenhaw, who passed away over the holidays at age 83.

Before she became a member of Alabama Humanities’ Board of Directors, Judge Greenhaw opened doors for women in state government and the judiciary. After graduating from the University of Alabama and Cumberland School of Law, she became the first female assistant attorney general in Alabama. Judge Greenhaw would go on to become the first woman elected as a Montgomery County district court judge, too. Later, she was elected (and long reelected) as a circuit court judge. Judge Greenhaw also served in countless volunteer and leadership positions, including with the Alabama Council on Substance Abuse, Family Guidance Center, Leadership Montgomery, and Leadership Alabama.

Of course, those here at AHA cherish her unfailing support of the humanities, and her belief in the power of the humanities to enlighten and enliven Alabama. Judge Greenhaw provided leadership during a key period of growth and evolution for AHA, and she became one of AHA’s most steadfast donors, making key programs and events possible statewide, such as our now-annual Alabama Colloquium.

“Judge Greenhaw was a champion for the humanities, and I was honored to serve on the board of the Alabama Humanities Alliance with her for the better part of a decade,” says Trey Granger, a past chair for AHA and the Clerk of Court for the United States Court for the Middle District of Alabama.

“We developed a close bond during our tenure and shared many laughs and swapped stories, most of them Montgomery-based, when we were together for meetings. Judge Greenhaw’s quick dry wit was her trademark and her passion for the arts and humanities serves as an example to all of us. Thanks be to God for, and long live, Sally Greenhaw.”

 

Beyond the court

AHA’s staff and Board members had the pleasure to know Judge Greenhaw long before her own Board service (2014-2021). Her husband Wayne was a Board member prior to Sally and those who knew them treasured knowing them as a couple.

The Hon. Myron H. Thompson was one of those who got to know the Greenhaws well through their careers in the judiciary. Judge Thompson is United States District Judge for the Middle District of Alabama and an Alabama Humanities Fellow.

Judge Sally Greenhaw and Judge Myron H. Thompson.

“Judge Greenhaw was one of a kind,” Thompson says. “She and Wayne lived life in a beautiful way that championed all that is good in this world. They completed each other, and those of us who called them friends were enriched to have been in their circle. Our court took Sally’s oral history a few years back and I am delighted that we have a window into the wonderful world of Sally and Wayne, and that it will be shared with future generations of Alabamians.”

“Wayne and Sally had a great commitment to making Alabama a better place for all our citizens,” agrees Reggie Hamner, a member of AHA’s Board with Sally. “Alabama Humanities was a prime vehicle and a beneficiary of their talents. Sally was a trailblazer in being elected one of the first female trial judges in Alabama, and she and Wayne were a team for the betterment of Alabama through the aspirations of the humanities.”

As so many know, Wayne was a prolific and powerful writer who won numerous awards for his books, including the Harper Lee Award for Alabama’s Distinguished Writer. After his passing in 2011, Alabama Humanities established the Wayne Greenhaw Service to the Humanities Award. The honor recognizes individuals who have made substantive contributions to the work and mission of the Alabama Humanities Alliance, and in service of the public humanities generally in Alabama.

Sally received the honor in 2022 during our Alabama Colloquium in Montgomery, when AHA also honored Bryan Stevenson and the late John Lewis as Alabama Humanities Fellows.

In her brief and typically humble remarks, Judge Greenhaw shared: “Just to be on the same program honoring John Lewis and Bryan Stevenson, that in itself is an honor. These two gentlemen embody not only the best of what the humanities are, but what the humanities can be.”

AHA is forever grateful for the influence of both Sally and Wayne on our work, and we smile knowing that they are reunited once again.

To learn more about Sally and Wayne, watch the video referenced by Judge Thompson — an oral history of the Greenhaws’ lives and legacies, produced by the U.S. District Court’s Middle District of Alabama.

History, for the present

October 28, 2025 — On a chilly, rainy, winter-like day in October, The Rotunda at American Village was filled with folks who had traveled to Montevallo from across the state. Among the gathered were historians and educators, church and community leaders, archaeologists and authors, economic development gurus and nonprofit directors. Citizens and Alabamians, all, coming together to discuss how examining our shared past just might offer a blueprint for building stronger, more connected communities, here, and now.

Healing History: An Alabama Convening was born out of the Alabama Humanities Alliance’s Healing History initiative. The event was the first of many that AHA has planned to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary in 2026 and to consider America’s founding principles in modern context.

Participants came from major cities and university towns, as well as communities like Eutaw and Faunsdale, Eufaula and Warrior Stand, Gadsden, Harpersville, Spanish Fort, and more. They represented groups engaged in oral history projects; genealogy efforts among Black and White descendants of former plantations; philanthropic community programs; explorations of indigenous, rural, holocaust, and Confederate histories; and much more.

“Our goal was to bring folks together who are doing similar history-based work, but who might not be aware of others’ efforts in different parts of the state,” says Laura Anderson, AHA’s director of partnerships and outcomes.

“This gathering was a chance for people to ask questions, share information, and imagine the ways we can use our shared history to build deeper relationships with each other in the present.”

 

Highlights from the day

The convening’s agenda included a panel conversation, a film screening, and a talk by Edwin C. Bridges, Ph.D., director emeritus of the Alabama Department of Archives & History. But perhaps the most valuable part of the day was the chance for attendees to simply share with each other their inspired ideas, common challenges, and new connections.

Julia Walker, from Newbern, attended with a small group of women who are writing a collection of essays titled The Dissident Daughters of the Confederacy. The project was born out of the women’s efforts to reexamine the myths and misinformation they grew up with connected to the South’s “Lost Cause.”

“We were just so thankful for how much information we received, how much fun we had, and how encouraged we all felt by learning of so many pockets of good work being done throughout the state,” Walker said. 

Kathy Boswell, AHA’s Healing History coordinator, gave an overview of the initiative’s goals — and how AHA could help support similar, locally led efforts through grants, trainings, and more. Boswell also led participants through exercises on how to talk with, and listen to, each other.

“This is hard work that you’re all doing because it’s heart work,” Boswell said. “That’s why we’re here to encourage, to connect, and to remind you that what you’re doing is important. It’s what will bring people together.”

Allison Upshaw, Ph.D., an AHA Road Scholar and associate professor at Stillman College, moderated a panel conversation about the documentary, Echoes of the Forks of Cypress. The film, created by Frederick Murphy and funded in part by AHA, follows Black and White descendants of an iconic North Alabama plantation — including Murphy — as they reckon with their shared past, aiming for healing and community in the present.

The panel considered what it means to uncover stories that have been intentionally lost or hidden, and they also underscored how local, shared stories can best bring neighbors and communities together in unexpected ways.

“If you want to retain people’s interest, it’s better if you can focus on things that are relatable and that people can directly connect with,” Murphy said. “Maybe it’s a shared surname, a landmark in your local community, a family shop that’s been in town forever…that’s the kind of history that people can explore together.”

Dr. Bridges’ talk was titled “Alabamians: People Divided by a Shared History.” In it, he traced the interwoven threads of Alabama’s history since statehood — its rich cultural fabric, yes, but also its self-inflicted wounds and the roots of the artificial dividing lines still visible among us today.

“No one alive today is responsible for all these challenges we face from our history,” Bridges said, in his closing.

“But we are all responsible for what we can do today to make Alabama a better place. And a key part of that is understanding each other and being open — as today’s program is all about — being willing to talk with each other, learn from each other, and work together to overcome these barriers from the past that have pitted us against each other.”

 

Past Forward

One of the gateways to AHA’s Healing History initiative comes through an experience called Past Forward. The experience offers a chance to explore, and reflect upon, an aspect of our shared history — and consider how decisions made in the past still affect our lives, livelihoods, relationships, and communities today.

AHA’s final Past Forward of 2025 will take place on November 20, in Bessemer:

AHA thanks the American Village Citizenship Trust and the David Mathews Center for Civic Life for their partnership and hospitality in hosting Healing History: An Alabama Convening. AHA’s Healing History initiative would not be possible without the support of many individual and institutional donors, especially the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, the Mellon Foundation, Regions Bank, and the Argosy Foundation.

 

About the Alabama Humanities Alliance
Founded in 1974, the nonprofit and nonpartisan Alabama Humanities Alliance has served as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Through our grantmaking and public programming, we promote lifelong learning, impactful storytelling, and civic engagement. We believe the humanities can bring Alabamians together and help us better understand the communities we call home.

Commemorating America at 250

October 15, 2025 — In 2026, Americans will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our country’s first founding document, the Declaration of Independence. To commemorate, the Alabama Humanities Alliance will offer an extra slate of grants and programming in 2026, helping Alabamians place the past in context, consider our present, and imagine what our shared future might look like.

Among AHA’s “250” highlights: Grant offerings to help Alabamians reflect on America’s founding and connections to today; two new Smithsonian traveling exhibits; American Village will host the 2026 edition of AHA’s annual Alabama History Day contest; new Road Scholars will present talks related to America’s founding era; and a fall Healing History convening aims to bring Alabamians together.

“We are very excited to bring an Alabama perspective to commemorations of our nation’s 250th anniversary,” says Chuck Holmes, AHA’s executive director.

“This work builds on what we do year in and year out — supporting opportunities for lifelong learning, impactful storytelling, and civic engagement. We know that when folks engage with history, culture, community, art, folklore, and storytelling — we learn more about who we are, where we come from, and what brings us together.”

 

AHA’s “America at 250” programming

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A portion of the brand-new Smithsonian exhibit, AMERICANS, coming to Alabama in 2026-2027.

 

Share our “AHA: America at 250” flyer.

 

AHA’s 250 partners

None of these initiatives would be possible, of course, without the work of many partners across Alabama, many of whom are putting together incredible “America at 250” programming of their own.

Thank you to AHA’s initial 250 partners, including: American Village, Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities, David Mathews Center for Civic Life, Dale County Council of the Arts and Humanities, Encyclopedia of Alabama, National History Day, Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street, and Washington County History Museum.

The Alabama Humanities Alliance is especially proud to be a partner organization for America250AL at American Village, the state’s designated Semiquincentennial celebration capitol. America250AL offers celebration grants, community toolkits, a Semiquincentennial Schools program, and an oral history effort called “Share Your Story.” To learn more about these offerings, and more, visit america250al.org.

 

Help make this all happen

Alabama Humanities remains committed to its Semiquincentennial commemorations, but AHA will need help from individuals and organizations across the state to make it happen. This is due to abrupt, and deep, federal cuts to AHA’s funding in 2025.

Since 1974, AHA has been part of a federal-state partnership to promote the arts and humanities across the United States. In that time, AHA has used federal dollars annually appropriated by a bipartisan Congress to support its statewide grantmaking and local programming in communities across Alabama.

In April of 2025, however, the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) terminated AHA’s longstanding partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities, eliminating what amounts to two-thirds of AHA’s annual funding. Since then, we have been deeply grateful for support from individuals, corporations, foundations, and state lawmakers that has helped AHA preserve much (though not all) of our statewide offerings.

 

To support AHA’s 2026 programming, donate at alabamahumanities.org/support.

 

About the Alabama Humanities Alliance
Founded in 1974, the nonprofit and nonpartisan Alabama Humanities Alliance has served as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Through our grantmaking and public programming, we promote lifelong learning, impactful storytelling, and civic engagement. We believe the humanities can bring Alabamians together and help us better understand the communities we call home.

Photo at top: Residents of Ozark, Alabama, gather for the opening reception of a Smithsonian traveling exhibit in 2024. For America’s Semiquincentennial, AHA will bring two new Smithsonian exhibits to the state in 2026, which will help Alabamians explore the rich and complex history of our nation. 

Supporting history and civics in the classroom

October 1, 2025 — A children’s literature project for students with learning disabilities. A living history wax museum and City Hall field trip. A storytelling series. And a class-created book of civic rights and responsibilities.

These are the winning project ideas submitted by Alabama educators chosen as AHA’s 2025 Riley Scholars. This year’s winners are Abby Crews (Geneva), Jordan Franck (Florence), Amanda Ridge (Russellville), and Ashlie-Nicole Wehner (Huntsville).

The competitive Jenice Riley Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to K-8 educators who excel at helping students engage with history and civics. Riley Scholars receive $2,000 in support of history- and civics-related classroom projects or for professional development opportunities.

Funded through the W. Edgar Welden Fund for Education, this scholarship is a tribute to the late Jenice Riley — a passionate educator and daughter of former Alabama governor and first lady Bob and Patsy Riley. Edgar Welden is a former AHA board member and a steadfast supporter of educational initiatives in Alabama. Since 2003, the Alabama Humanities Alliance has named 110 Riley Scholars and funded more than $114,000 in teacher scholarships.

If you’d like to help AHA continue supporting Alabama’s teachers and students, consider making a gift to support the Alabama Humanities Alliance.

 

Applications open for 2026!

Applications are now being accepted for AHA’s 2026 Jenice Riley Memorial Scholarships. Alabama educators are encouraged to apply by April 30, 2026.

The 2026 proposal theme is “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.” All Riley Scholarship proposals should address how funds would be used to enhance teaching and learning about historical events and movements connected to different revolutions, reactions, and reforms in our history.

This year’s theme is inspired by (but not limited to) the 250th anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence in 2026. This is also the theme of AHA’s 2026 Alabama History Day competition.

 

Meet our 2025 Riley Scholars

Abby Crews, Mulkey Elementary (Geneva County)
Geneva City Schools | Fifth Grade

PROJECT: City Hall Field Trip and Living History Wax Museum
This multi-pronged project will take students on a field trip to Geneva’s new City Hall, which will include a city council simulation. Back at school, Crews will help students create a voting booth for school elections. Finally, students will participate in a Living History Wax Museum that gives them a chance to study history while enhancing their writing, reading, public speaking, and critical thinking skills.

 

Jordan Franck, Forest Hills Elementary (Lauderdale County)
Florence City Schools | Fifth Grade

PROJECT: Rights and Responsibilities Storytelling Series
One of the most common ways that students learn about the history of our country is through the art of storytelling. The goal of Franck’s project is to help students learn about history and civics through a new and robust library of history books. Novel studies will also be incorporated into the reading curriculum to help students personally connect with history and civics, to inspire them as future leaders.

 

Amanda Ridge, Russellville Middle (Franklin County)
Russellville City Schools | Sixth Grade

PROJECT: How Can I be a Golden Patriot?
Around 60 percent of students in Ridge’s classroom come from families that immigrated to the United States. This has inspired a hands-on idea for learning about U.S. history and civics. Students will begin by studying the book, For Which We Stand, a book that explains the origins of U.S. government, how it works, and how to engage with it. Students will then create their own book of civic rights and responsibilities, making copies to keep and copies to donate to local libraries.

 

Ashlie-Nichole Wehner, Jones Valley Elementary (Madison County)
Huntsville City Schools | Special Education, Grades 4-6

PROJECT: Three Bears Den
Can children’s literature help foster an understanding of rights and responsibilities among students with special needs? Wehner will lead a civics classroom project centered around Goldilocks and the Three Bears, leading discussions on the “Goldilocks Theory” of what is “just right” – our daily decisions to make the right choices and be responsible for our own actions. Scholarship support will enable Wehner to create a “Three Bears Den,” with resources and equipment to make learning more accessible for her students with a variety of learning disabilities.

 

About the Alabama Humanities Alliance
Founded in 1974, the nonprofit and nonpartisan Alabama Humanities Alliance has served as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Through our grantmaking and public programming, we promote lifelong learning, impactful storytelling, and civic engagement. We believe the humanities can bring Alabamians together and help us better understand the communities we call home.

Road Scholar talks are back

September 16, 2025 — Five months after pausing its Road Scholars Speakers Bureau as a result of abrupt federal funding cuts, the Alabama Humanities Alliance has reopened the beloved program, through at least the rest of 2025. This reopening is possible thanks to recent donations, including another major gift from philanthropist Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr.

Since 1987, AHA’s Road Scholars have crisscrossed Alabama, providing fascinating talks and critical programming for local nonprofits across the state — libraries, senior centers, historical societies, churches, and more. Now, these community cornerstones can once again apply to bring a Road Scholar to their towns, with an eye toward 2026 public programming.

“The Road Scholars Speakers Bureau has been a vital part of our programming, especially for senior adults, for more than two decades,” says Mary Hamilton, director of the H. Grady Bradshaw Chambers County Library.

“With the variety and depth of topics available at an affordable cost to a public library, our patrons have enjoyed learning about history, sports, foodways, music, and so much more,” Hamilton shares. “I’m delighted that the Road Scholars program once again is available to bring insightful, entertaining, and educational programs to our community.”

Applications to host a Road Scholar will be considered on a monthly basis moving forward, with the first monthly deadline coming up October 1.

Learn more about our Road Scholars Speakers Bureau.

 

Why were Road Scholar talks paused?

AHA paused some of its grantmaking and programming in April after the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) terminated AHA’s longstanding partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities — eliminating what amounts to two-thirds of AHA’s annual funding.

The cuts were unexpected. Since 1974, AHA has been part of a federal-state partnership to promote the arts and humanities across the United States. In that time, AHA has used federal dollars annually appropriated by a bipartisan Congress to support grantmaking and programming in communities across Alabama.

Since April, an outpouring of support from individuals, corporations, foundations, and state lawmakers has helped preserve the Alabama Humanities Alliance — and kept many of our statewide offerings afloat. That includes our current Smithsonian traveling exhibit touring six communities across the state; Alabama History Day for middle school and high school students; our Healing History initiative bringing Alabamians together; and a limited slate of AHA’s Grant offerings that support locally created humanities projects in towns statewide.

“Quite literally, none of our work is possible right now without support from individuals and organizations who believe in the power of lifelong learning and impactful storytelling,” says Chuck Holmes, AHA’s executive director. “AHA’s donors care about helping Alabamians connect with our past, with each other, and with the stories that illustrate the world around us.

“We’re grateful to offer our Road Scholars through at least the rest of this year, and we hope that future funding will enable us to extend this program into 2026, and beyond.”

 

AHA’s Road Scholars Speakers Bureau

Over the past five years, AHA’s Road Scholars have delivered more than 300 talks in communities large and small. In 2024 alone, more than 5,000 Alabamians gathered to hear a Road Scholar presentation.

The program is a vital source of community programming for local libraries, museums, historical societies, historic sites, and more. The Road Scholars program also serves more senior citizens than any other AHA offering, and senior centers often serve as a host venue for talks.

Road Scholar speakers include poets laureate, acclaimed storytellers, award-winning authors, artists and musicians, military veterans, woodworkers, printmakers, sportswriters, theatrical directors, cemetery experts, genealogists, and more.

Their talks cover the gamut of Alabama and American history, including:

 

And that’s just a small percentage of the 100-plus presentations developed by AHA’s roster of Road Scholars.

Michael Burger, Road Scholar

Michael Burger, Ph.D., is an AHA Road Scholar and a professor of history at Auburn University at Montgomery. His talks include presentations on the inspirations for the U.S. Constitution, a fascinating reconsideration of Cleopatra, and a look at the evolution of universities from the middle ages to modern times.

“It’s a blast to bring really interesting history to audiences looking for some enlightenment,” Burger says. “The idea is not to make history interesting, but to reveal how it’s interesting and why it matters today. And what’s as much fun for me is what comes after the talk: audience questions and discussion.”

For organizations interested in applying for a grant to host a Road Scholar, visit alabamahumanities.org/road-scholars. Applications will be considered on a monthly basis, with deadlines the first of each month.

Once scheduled, all Road Scholar talks are available to the public for free, and promoted on AHA’s online events calendar.

 

Additional resources for applicants:

 

About the Alabama Humanities Alliance
Founded in 1974, the nonprofit and nonpartisan Alabama Humanities Alliance has served as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Through our grantmaking and public programming, we promote lifelong learning, impactful storytelling, and civic engagement. We believe the humanities can bring Alabamians together and help us better understand the communities we call home.

An Alabama Convening

Two years ago, the Alabama Humanities Alliance began an experiment. We came to call it our Healing History initiative.

A collaborative effort, Healing History brings Alabamians together to investigate our shared past — as a way to better understand our present and each other. The goal is to strengthen our communities, our workforces, and our relationships.

Learning from history isn’t a new idea, of course; we are far from the only people in the state doing this kind of work. And that’s why we want to hear from — and learn from — others who are engaged in “Healing History” work in their own communities across Alabama.

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Are you engaged in historical work that aims to bring Alabamians together today? Join AHA in Montevallo on October 27, 2025, for Healing History: An Alabama Convening.

This will be a gathering focused on inspiration and imagination, of considering different ways we can mine the past to strengthen our present. Plenary sessions, talks, and film screenings will highlight creative, history-based model projects. There will also be ample time to sit, share, and connect.

Bring your own ideas and examples, your openness and curiosity. Partners Hall will be open throughout the day, showcasing collaborators from around the state. Registration is free but required in advance. Lunch will be provided.

 

Healing History: An Alabama Convening
October 27, 2025  |  10am-4pm
The Rotunda at American Village
3727 Highway 19  |  Montevallo, AL 35115
Register for free: surveymonkey.com/r/FZYR8GH

Why Montevallo? We’re meeting in the middle of the state for two reasons. One, because we have some great friends at the David Mathews Center for Civic Life and the American Village Citizenship Trust who graciously agreed to host us. And, two, we wanted to meet in the middle of the state to allow for as many people, from all corners of Alabama, to join us.

 

Who should attend? 

 

Learn more: 

 

Supporting organizations
AHA’s Healing History initiative would not have gotten off the ground two years ago without seed funding from the State of Alabama, and it would not have grown without the generous, ongoing support of the Community Foundation for Greater Birmingham. Additional thanks to our founding partners at Bread for the World and Regions Bank, and to model partners such as History Before Us and The Wallace Center for Arts and Reconciliation.

What we have in common

On August 25, at Birmingham’s Red Mountain Theatre, author and social psychologist Kurt Gray offered a new take on this current American era of outrage and polarization. At the heart of his message: We’re motivated far more by what we have in common than we might think.

“Most of our differences come from the same place,” Gray shared, “about protecting ourselves or others from harm. The disagreements come over our different perceptions of what might be harmful and of who’s being harmed.”

That finding from Gray’s research won’t magically heal our nation’s self-inflicted wounds, but it might help folks better understand each other and open up opportunities for productive conversations. Indeed, that hope inspired the entire evening.

 

Sharing our stories

Gray’s talk was offered as part of an ongoing Woven Together series, co-presented by the Alabama Humanities Alliance, Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, and Leadership Birmingham, and sponsored by Alabama Power.

Chuck Holmes, AHA executive director

As AHA’s executive director Chuck Holmes shared at the start of the evening: “We’re going to learn more about Kurt tonight, but more importantly, we’re going to learn more about ourselves, and how we cope and how we process things in our lives and in the life of our nation.”

One of the most important takeaways came when Gray described how to try entering into conversation with someone who might have fundamentally different opinions than yours.

“Facts matter, but they’re not the best way to start a conversation,” Gray said. “You’re not starting an argument to win. You’re starting a conversation to understand someone. And when you approach it that way, storytelling — not facts — is a much more powerful way of bridging divides. Start with your personal experiences.”

So, how do we start difficult conversations, especially ones that might involve thorny topics?

Author Kurt Gray

“Talk with someone like they’re a full person,” Gray emphasized. “Nobody is just one thing. We all contain multitudes. So, start with something real that doesn’t have anything to do with politics. None of us like being talked at. People like being asked real questions.”

After Gray’s talk, he signed copies of his book, Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics – and How to Find Common Ground. The book-signing was courtesy of Thank You Books, and signed copies of the book are now available at the Birmingham bookseller.

 

Healing History

For those interested in other opportunities for coming together in conversation and exploration, check out AHA’s Healing History initiative. This collaborative effort helps Alabamians examine our shared histories in order to better know, and understand, one another.

On August 25, nearly 60 people arrived early to Red Mountain Theatre, to participate in Past Forward, a participatory introduction to AHA’s Healing History initiative. This experience offers a chance to explore, and reflect upon, our shared history — and consider how decisions made in the past affect our lives, livelihoods, relationships, and communities today.

Register for upcoming Healing History opportunities below, and learn more at alabamahumanities.org/healing-history.

 

About the Alabama Humanities Alliance
Founded in 1974, the nonprofit and nonpartisan Alabama Humanities Alliance has served as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Through our grantmaking and public programming, we promote lifelong learning, impactful storytelling, and civic engagement. We believe the humanities can bring Alabamians together and help us better understand the communities we call home.

 

Lead image, at top, by Bob Farley. 

Echoes of the Forks of Cypress

“This is where your people were held, by mine.”
-Curtis Flowers, great-great-great-grandaughter of Sarah and James Jackson, owners of the Forks of Cypress plantation, speaking with Black descendants of those enslaved at the site

So begins one of the opening lines of Echoes of the Forks of Cypress, a powerful documentary that follows the journey of Black and White descendants of the iconic North Alabama plantation, as they reckon with their shared past to bring about healing and community in the present.

The film, which was funded in part by the Alabama Humanities Alliance’s Healing History initiative, had its Alabama premiere on August 12, 2025, at the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library. Around 125 people attended the debut, far exceeding the library’s viewing area for the screening. Chairs were hauled from all corners of the library, and some people sat with obstructed views, or no views at all — demonstrating the local appetite for history, genealogy, and community-building.

As noted by Laura Anderson, AHA’s director of partnerships and outcomes, the project embodies the ideals of AHA’s Healing History initiative: “When we started this effort two years ago, we didn’t really want to define all that is “Healing History” because we wanted people around Alabama to come together and define that for themselves and their communities, and then come to us for support.”

And that’s exactly how AHA’s funding for Echoes of the Forks of Cypress came about.

Filmmaker Frederick Murphy, founder, History Before Us

Brian Murphy, director of Florence Arts & Museums — a frequent AHA partner and grant recipient — told Anderson about a Southern filmmaker who had recently discovered that some of his ancestors were once enslaved at the Forks of Cypress. The filmmaker was working with one of the White descendants of the Jackson plantation at the Forks to research his line there, as much as possible. He also had an idea to bring White and Black descendants together with a goal: To reimagine the plantation and its cemetery as spaces for remembrance and reflection — to have challenging conversations and acknowledge the site’s painful legacy, but also to cultivate new paths forward for healing and understanding with one another.

That filmmaker was Frederick Murphy, founder of History Before Us, a production company focused on capturing, preserving, and advocating for influential history. AHA supported Murphy’s vision with a Healing History grant, making the production of Echoes possible.

One of Muprhy’s primary objectives for the project was to help other Black descendants trace their own family lines that ran through the Forks of Cypress.

“Genealogy for people of African descent can be challenging due to gaps and erasures in historical records,” Murphy says. “Collaboration between descendant communities on all sides, paired with shared knowledge and persistence, helps restore lost connections and reclaim ancestral legacies.”

Over the past year and a half, Murphy’s work has brought together folks from across Florence and the Shoals — and far beyond — connecting descendants.

Descendants of the Forks of Cypress pose for a photo together

The work also pulled in many other Shoals residents interested in learning more about the iconic site’s full history and how learning about that past can strengthen the region’s present. Allies joined in: The Alabama Historical Commission, Florence Arts and Museums, Florence-Lauderdale Public Library, and community historians, archivists, and genealogists from local churches, historical societies, and more.

“This project,” Murphy says, “was about showing that people can work together and do something that is emotionally charged — that can make us angry but can also bring us joy and happiness — and, more importantly, it hones in on what I center my life around, and that is our shared humanity.”

 

Going beyond the film

Following the film’s screening, Murphy and Anderson led a wide-ranging community conversation in the Florence library. Descendants answered questions from the audience, and from each other. And audience members shared ideas that the film had inspired in them, including ways to connect the Forks work with other citizen-led, community projects: genealogy workshops, cemetery preservation, oral history projects, books, new mapping efforts, and more.

Community members also shared their personal responses to the film.

One woman, Andrea Blackstone, had come all the way from Virginia after learning she had enslaved ancestors at the Forks. She told Murphy that he “did something for me, with this film, that I’ve waited for most of my life.” She was there with her son, who was celebrating his 12th birthday, documenting the evening with photos aplenty on his new camera. “You have also reinforced that we need to keep doing this work because we all need to know where we come from. This is the day that I get to say I understand me a little better.”

Another woman, a lifelong resident of the Shoals, shared how the film and conversation made her aware of this local history for the first time in her life: “I’ve lived around the Forks of Cypress forever and I didn’t know all this. To see your faces, to hear your stories, to meet you — it’s so powerful. It’s moving and at the same time, I wish I had known this so much sooner. Thank you. That’s what I want to say. Thank you. This has changed me.”

Murphy is planning more screenings of Echoes in Alabama and across the South, before the film heads to a streaming platform for wider release. You can watch a trailer of the film here. 

You can also read a deeper dive about Echoes of the Forks of Cypress in AHA’s 2024 issue of Mosaic magazine.

 

About AHA’s Healing History initiative

This collaborative initiative is designed to strengthen our communities, workforces, and state by helping Alabamians examine their shared history and get to know each other better. Across race, religion, politics, and all the supposed dividing lines that shouldn’t keep us apart. The aim is to build trust, foster empathy, and grow community through mutually respectful discussions about our shared past, present, and future. AHA is grateful to the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham for its significant support for this initiative.

See below for more on ways to engage with Healing History. You can also learn more at alabamahumanities.org/healing-history. 

Past Forward: AHA offers Past Forward as a participatory introduction to Healing History. This experience offers a chance to explore, and reflect upon, our shared history — and consider how decisions made in the past affect our lives, livelihoods, relationships, and communities today.

Upcoming Past Forward opportunities:

Woven Together: Woven Together is a series presented by the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, Leadership Birmingham, and the Alabama Humanities Alliance. Our next event will take place on August 25, at Birmingham’s Red Mountain Theatre: Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics — and How to Find Common Ground. 

The event features author and social psychologist Kurt Gray, who will unpack the science behind our outrage and reveal how empathy, not division, can drive real dialogue. You’ll discover why we’re more alike than we think, and how understanding our emotions can bridge even the deepest divides — no matter where we reside on the political, religious, or geographical spectrums.

Tickets are $10 and you can purchase them here. 

 

About the Alabama Humanities Alliance
Founded in 1974, the nonprofit and nonpartisan Alabama Humanities Alliance has served as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Through our grantmaking and public programming, we promote lifelong learning, impactful storytelling, and civic engagement. We believe the humanities can bring Alabamians together and help us better understand the communities we call home.

 

*Our thanks to the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library for the photos used in this story.