CC is awarding funding to at least ten social justice student projects that utilize humanities methods through its Humanities for Our Times: From Epistemologies and Methodologies to Liberatory Creative Practice and Social Justice, generously funded by the Mellon Foundation.
The Mellon Foundation announced in January 2022 their award of over $16.1 million to 12 liberal arts colleges as part of its Humanities for All Times initiative. As one of 12 institutions selected, CC received $1,024,000 for its Humanities for Our Times: From Epistemologies and Methodologies to Liberatory Creative Practices and Social Justice, which supports professional and course development and CC’s ongoing work towards becoming an antiracist institution.
The grant funded the development of 50 new Equity and Power and Creative Processes courses that focus on ways humanities methods can contribute to social justice work. These courses range in topics, such as how archival research, critical analysis, artistic production, and creative expression can contribute to social justice work.
The grant also includes funds for the Student Social Justice Project Grant, which awards up to $1,500 for students conducting social justice projects utilizing humanities methods. Students who have taken at least one of the new courses are eligible to apply for the grant. The student must first discuss their project idea with the class professor, who must approve the idea and agree to oversee the project. Students can apply as individuals or as a team, and proposals are reviewed on a rolling basis through Block 8. Students must include their plan for sharing their project work with the community and describing which humanities methods they will use in the project when applying for the grant.
“Antiracism and social justice are multifaceted and complex, and the work they demand extends into many aspects of who we are as individuals, communities, and as a college,” says Dr. Chet Lisiecki ’07, Project Coordinator and CC Assistant Professor of German Studies. “We are so excited about this final phase of the grant, which will support students as they embark on social justice projects across the US. These projects have all grown out of students’ experiences in the new, grant-funded Equity and Power and Creative Processes courses that CC faculty have been teaching this year. These projects, which can be seen on our webpage, are all grounded in humanities methods, from interviews to archival research to literary analysis to photography and visual arts.”
Student Social Justice Project Grant recipients thus far include Zoey Roueche ’24, Judson Thomas ’24, Julissa Torres ’24, Sonia Jogal ‘25, Jackson Hammock ‘25, Danielle Ryans ’25, Azaria Hampton ’26, and Giorgio Gioele Sirito ’26, and Nathaniel Pittman IV ’27.
Roueche, an Environmental Studies and Political Science major, is working on her Student Social Justice Project this block. She is taking Dr. Ibrahima Wade’s Topics in Francophone Culture: Exploring Cajun and Creole Cultures in the U.S., which is being taught in New Orleans and is one of the newly developed Equity and Power courses.
“In the intricate tapestry of New Orleans’ history, the threads of redlining and gentrification weave a narrative deeply etched with the hues of racism and social injustice,” says Roueche. “The ramifications of these historical injustices persist today, manifesting in stark contrasts between neighborhoods, unequal access to resources like quality education and healthcare, and the erasure of cultural heritage. Understanding the interconnectedness of redlining, gentrification, and systemic racism unveils a critical chapter in New Orleans’ past that continues to sculpt its present landscape. Delving into these intertwined histories is not merely an academic pursuit but a moral imperative, a call to confront the enduring legacies of discrimination and advocate for equitable and just urban landscapes. Studying these complexities isn’t just about the past; it’s a lens through which we comprehend and rectify persistent social injustices, forging pathways towards a more inclusive and empathetic future for all communities in New Orleans and beyond.”
While most students take one of the new courses and then develop project ideas, Roueche already had a topic in mind and knew Wade’s course would be the perfect opportunity to execute it.
“I came up with this idea because I knew I wanted to combine my Environmental Studies and Political Science background with the topics discussed in our class,” Roueche says. “I knew that we would be going to New Orleans, and I had also done a project in a previous class that looked at different cities around the U.S. and their historical practices of redlining. So, I thought it would be interesting in the context of Cajun and Creole culture to delve into the modern impacts of redlining and gentrification, while also discussing the history of race, language, and culture in New Orleans.”
Roueche is utilizing a combination of humanities methods for her project, including archival research and critical analysis to explore the history of redlining and gentrification in New Orleans and studying historical documents, maps, records, and oral histories to understand the historical context of it. She is also utilizing archives, libraries, and digital repositories for information on housing policies, neighborhood changes, and community voices.
After conducting and analyzing her research, Roueche plans to create a final product that uses artistic production, which she believes will serve as a powerful tool for storytelling and engagement.
“Creating an art project that embodies the findings—be it through photography, visual arts, or mixed media—can emotionally connect the audience to the issue,” Roueche says. “By integrating these humanities methodologies, the project can effectively unearth historical truths, critically analyze their implications, and creatively present the information to evoke empathy and understanding within the Colorado College community.”
The Creative Processes portion of the Mellon Foundation’s grant is CC’s Investigations of Creativity Towards Inclusivity Series, which works to bridge the study of creativity within the humanities and the practice of it specifically in relation to inclusive methods of teaching. This series is guided by key questions such as how creativity is framed in the different humanities disciplines and how this informs our interaction with the arts on campus. It also addresses how our campus community can expand our understanding of creativity across a variety of disciplines and outside of a settler-colonizer framework. These events began in Fall 2023 and run through the end of this academic year.
The Mellon Team, which reviews student applications and proposals, is made up of Lisiecki, English Professor Dr. Claire Garcia, who also serves as Principal Investigator on the grant, Associate Professor and Chair of the English Department Dr. Natanya Pulley, English Professor and Director of the Journalism Institute Dr. Steven Hayward, Assistant Professor of French and Italian Dr. Néné Diop, and Director of the Creativity Lab in Creativity and Innovation Kris Stanec ’88, MAT ’89. The team has awarded nine grants and is currently reviewing proposals from additional students.
“Student grant recipients have engaged with the vogue ballroom scene in New York City and attended the annual Creating Change Conference organized by the National LGBTQ+ Task Force, among other amazing projects,” Lisiecki says. “They are drawing on these experiences to think critically and creatively about social justice. Then, they are bringing their ideas and research back to CC to share with our community, contributing to the work we are doing here to challenge, critique, dismantle, and liberate ourselves from systems of oppression such as racism.”
The Student Social Justice Project Grant proposal is available here. If you have questions about the grant or application process can email Chet Lisiecki.
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