The Bill of Rights, added to the Constitution in 1791, protects rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the freedom to freely practice religion. The Constitution gives the government power; the Bill of Rights protects individual liberties. These two ideas have helped to make the U.S. Constitution the longest lasting of any nation in the world.

Academia del Pueblo, Friendly House Phoenix, AZ  website Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records - Arizona Capitol Museum Phoenix, AZ website Pima County Library - Murphy-Wilmot Branch Tucson, AZ website The Freedom Library, Inc. Yuma, Arizona website National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Black Mountain Foothills Chapter Phoenix, AZ website

Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Yuma, AZ website Maricopa County Library District - El Mirage Branch El Mirage, AZ website Maricopa County Library District - Sun City Branch Library Sun City, AZ website Pima County Public Library - Arivaca Branch Arivaca, Arizona website

 

Mini Grants are small grants of up to $2,000 that are available year-round to support innovative public programs that increase understanding of the human experience. Applicants may request up to $2,000 per fiscal year (November 1 - October 31).

Did you miss our fall Mini Grant Awards announcement? Click here to learn about the four recent Mini Grant Recipients: City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture ($2,000), Coolidge Performing Arts Center Foundation Inc. ($2,000), Primavera Foundation - South Tucson Youth Leadership Council ($2,000), and Arizona State University West - School of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies ($2,000).

FRANK Talks, a new program from Arizona Humanities, offers thought-provoking, expert-facilitated discussions on important current issues. FRANK Talks is produced in partnership with Arizona Humanities and the Arizona State Library, Archives & Public Records. Named after the founder of Arizona Humanities, Lorraine W. Frank, the goal of FRANK Talks is to inspire people to practice the skills of citizenship - to listen respectfully, and to engage thoughtfully with one another on important issues that affect our communities. 

We are offering a free online webinar on December 15th from 12:00-1:00 p.m. to learn how you can bring a FRANK Talk to your local library. 

Click here to register for the December 15th webinar.

Click here to check out our current list of FRANK Talks topics and scholars.

On Saturday, December 3rd at Cesar Chavez Library and Park in west Phoenix, the City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture hosted hip hop and poetry writing workshops, a community cookout, and performances as part of The BreakBeat Poets National Book tour.

Kevan Coval and Nate Marshall, two editors of The BreakBeat Poets, visited Phoenix to conduct the workshops along with local poets, Phonetic Spit, and Gutta Collective. Kevan Coval is a poet, author, and the founder of Louder Than A Bomb, the world's largest youth poetry slam. Poet Nate Marshall is also the National Director of Young Chicago Authors. 

The BreakBeat Poets New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop is described as the "first-of-its-kind anthology of hip-hop poetica written for and by the people" and "is meant to expand the idea of who a poet is and what a poem is for." Read more about the book and watch a video about the book and project.

This project was supported by a Mini Grant from Arizona Humanities and is part of the National Endowment for the Humanities Legacy of Race and Ethnicity in the U.S. initiative which promotes community conversations on race relations.

	From left to right: Speaker Jim Turner, Programs Manager Ellie Hutchison, Speaker Jan Cleere, and Cheryl Yeatts of the Sedona Public Library

Every year, Arizona Humanities works with libraries throughout the state. From Parker to Bisbee and everywhere in between, our AZ Speaks program, grants, FRANK Talks and other program partnerships offer communities quality humanities programs. Programs Manager Ellie Hutchison and Cheryl Yeatts of the Sedona Public Library, presented a session at the AZ Library Association November 4th conference titled "Your Library and Arizona Humanities" which shared opportunities to engage with Arizona Humanities programs and grants. Jim Turner and Jan Cleere, local scholars, writers and current members of the AZ Speaks roster, discussed the popular AZ Speaks program that connects libraries and other nonprofit organizations with topics about history, literature, ethics, art, and more. Click here to read more about AZ Speaks or contact Yadi Fajardo.  

• December 15 - FRANK Talks Webinar
• December 26 - Office Closed for Christmas Holiday
• January 2 - Office Closed for New Years Holiday

Mission: Arizona Humanities builds a just and civil society by creating opportunities to explore our shared human experiences through discussion, learning and reflection.

Arizona Humanities is a statewide 501(c)3 non-profit organization and the Arizona affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Arizona Humanities supports public programs that promote understanding of the human experience with cultural, educational, and non-profit organizations across Arizona.