Humanities are essential

It is no accident that the words “human” and “ties” are in the word, “humanities.”

If President Trump desires “ties” or a coming together of the American people, then the last thing he should do is slash the budget for the  National Endowments for the Humanities (NEH). We need the humanities for their ability to humanize us and appreciate each other.   

Let’s consider the depth and breadth of “the Humanities”:

Theatre: Movies and plays increase our understanding of each other through sound, sight and story - three powerful avenues to our emotions, which underlie much of human behavior and interaction.

One of the first full-length movies was D.W. Griffith’s 1915 film “Birth of a Nation,” which brought many Americans together through knowledge of the Ku Klux Klan.Another exceptional movie, “El Norte,” helped us appreciate the incredible determination of families whose dream was to reach America.  The film “Windtalkers” advanced connections with Native Americans, as we learned about those who were cracking codes and assisting America during World War II.  “Erin Brockovich” encouraged grass-roots unification to activate governmental support in protecting the planet.  

Literature: The world’s cache of classic literature explores humanity in multiple ways and help us connect with each other. From Homer’s “Iliad” to the dramas of ancient Greek dramatists; from the slave narratives of Frederick Douglass to the essays of the Enlightenment era; from the novels of Shelley and Steinbeck to the wisdom in Martin Luther King Jr.’s essays, such works of great literature provide an enjoyable path to lasting and strong human connections.

Language:  People communicate through oral, as well as written, words; and many people develop skill and style and interactive competence through classes in communication and foreign languages. The latter affords us knowledge of other cultures, which is especially important to government leaders who desire positive interactions with other nations.  

The arts:  Humans make connections through visual methods such as art, music, dance, photography, textiles, carpentry, sculpture, etc.  From ancient cave paintings to architecture, and from ballet to modern dance, the arts have the capacity to move us through the artistic expression of one another.

History: Learning about America’s history and our centuries of interaction with other nations, is another crucial humanities benefit that we must not lose. Knowledge of our history advances our understanding and appreciation of the common experience of the human race. We are our history; and we must know where we came from, if we seek agreement on where we are going.  

Religion: This is another valuable subject in the realm of the humanities, and it is one that nurtures connectivity. A comparative study of religions of the world is a method by which ethnocentrism is overcome and interdependence is possible.  

And finally: journalism: The media is a skilled and crucial division of the humanities. The press is our window on the world, when reporters are objective, watchful and dedicated to our nation’s well-being.  If budget cuts to the humanities were to mean the loss of journalism as a profession, there would still be free speech - but without the journalist’s exacting code of ethics. We would also forfeit the goal of closer human ties; for the media’s elucidation of events serves to remove suspicion of neighbors, both near and far.  

The humanities are the crucial links to enjoying closer human ties in America. As writer Tiya Miles recently affirmed: “The quest for beauty, for emotional and intellectual truth, binds us to the category ‘human...’ (which) elevates and connects us.  It shapes us into a nation.”

A loss of funding for the NEH would mean sacrificing the very outlets that humanize us and help us appreciate the interdependence required of all humans on this planet.   

DONA M. AVERY

Wilkesboro, N.C.