Recorded Sessions
The Presidents vs. the Press with Harold Holzer
How did we go from journalism as a trusted form of information to an era of “fake news” and “alternative facts”? Presidential historian Harold Holzer examines the tension between chief executives and their chief critics, from George Washington to the present.
Say Their Names, A Personal Story of Artistic Activism
In response to the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Ahmaud Arbery, Dr. Matthew Evan Taylor from Middlebury College created a musical composition. This video features selections from that recording as Dr. Taylor discusses his journey towards using music as an avenue for advocacy and activism.
Getting it Right: Research and Diligence in Reporting
Author and longtime Vermont journalist Yvonne Daley interviews David Moats, her former colleague from the Rutland Herald, about Moats’ series of Pulitzer Prize-winning editorials on the divisive issues arising from civil unions for same-sex couples.
Films about Journalism at the 2020 Vermont International Film Festival
Orly Yadin from the Vermont International Film Festival and Cathy Resmer from Seven Days discuss the upcoming VTIFF festival, which focuses on the importance of journalism to democracy.
Alexander von Humboldt and the United States: Art, Nature, and Culture
Eleanor Jones Harvey, the author of “Alexander von Humboldt and the United States: Art, Nature and Culture,” illuminates Humboldt’s lasting impression on American visual arts, sciences, literature, and politics.
Merely Bystanders: The Psychology of Courage and Inaction
Amherst College psychology professor Catherine Sanderson examines the factors that lead most of us to stay silent in the face of bad behavior, and how this tendency to stay silent allows such acts to continue.
My Brigadista Year: A Democratic Ideal Amidst a Movement
Katherine Paterson, the author of “Bridge to Terabithia,” “The Great Gilly Hopkins” and other beloved books, joins Vermont Humanities Executive Director Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup to talk about her trips to Cuba and her 2017 Young Adult novel, “My Brigadista Year.“
The Informed Citizen, from Athens to Today
New York University Politics professor Melissa Schwartzberg discusses what it means to be an informed citizen in the context of the history of democracy, particularly in ancient Athens.
Cartoonist Jeff Danziger: Cartoonists are Still Foot Soldiers of Democracy
Political cartoonist Jeff Danziger discusses his role in a French documentary film, “Cartoonists, Foot Soldiers of Democracy,” and describes the origin of some of his recent editorial cartoons.
Vermont’s Temples of Democracy: A Tour with State Curator David Schutz
In an exclusive video tour, Vermont State Curator David Schutz explores the architectural symbolism of our beautifully-restored capitol building, and visits a rural town hall, another Vermont civic structure that enables us to govern ourselves.
Democracy Knitting Circle with Eve Jacobs-Carnahan
Knit Democracy Together is a modern take on historical knitting circles like those that supported the abolitionist and suffragist movements. At a time when people are losing confidence in government, this project creates a positive model of democracy.
Democracy, Social Change, and Representation in N’dakinna (Our Homeland)
Beginning with a greeting and historic overview of democracy in N’dakinna (Abenaki for Homeland), this panel of Abenaki voices considers the threads of place, home, belonging, and representation in a time of great social change.
Women’s Suffrage: Moral Advancement or Politics as Usual?
The suffrage movement operated under two very different principles. Elizabeth Cady Stanton saw women’s suffrage as a right that had been unfairly denied to women, while Frederick Douglass saw women’s suffrage as a means to save the country’s soul.
Introducing Democracy 20/20
Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup, Executive Director of Vermont Humanities, provides a brief introduction of our Fall Conference 2020: “Democracy 20/20.”
The Vermont Humanities Council (VHC) is under grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Any views expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the NEH or VHC.