2021 Cleveland Humanities Festiva: Events

Changing the Stories Museums Tell  with Linda C. Harrison, Rehema Barber, and Key Jo Lee

Art museums in the United States follow a prescribed narrative, built upon Eurocentric notions of history and collecting practices informed by legacies of colonialism and social and racial inequality. But is it possible to expand the stories told on their walls and floors? 

I Come from a People Who… - In Conversation with Marcie Rendon

“I Come from a People Who…” is a series of events with Native author, playwright and poet Marcie Rendon that weaves together the themes of the 2021 Humanities Festival and the 40th anniversary of community organization InterReligious Task Force on Central America and Colombia: identity, memory and resistance. Focusing on Rendon’s extraordinary contributions to Native literature and her advocacy for Native American artists and writers, the series will include a community conversation, an intimate virtual gathering for Cleveland’s Indigenous community, and an interactive poetry workshop.

Genealogy 101

The internet is a vast resource for genealogical research. This program will present current internet sources and tips on how to use these sites to further family history research. Virtual 2-part series. Registration required.

Register HERE.

This event is sponsored by Cuyahoga County Public Library.

Scam and Identity Theft

Rachel from Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People will share how to recognize scams, fraud and exploitation. Virtual program. Registration required.

Register HERE.

This event is sponsored by Cuyahoga County Public Library.

Catfish Scam

What is catfishing? How do you know if you are being catfished? Danelle Musil from the Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs will provide answers to these questions plus share ways you can protect yourself from being catfished online. Virtual program. Registration required.

Click HERE to register.  

This event is sponsored by Cuyahoga County Public Library.

A Virtual Ralph Pruitt Lecture and Presentation: Employing Cleveland Black Her-story in Creative Works

Desktop Dialogue: An Art Anthology, Chapter One with Eric Coble

How many stories can a work of art tell?  

The series An Art Anthology, accompanies the CMA exhibition Stories from Storage. Developed in collaboration with the creative writing organization Literary Cleveland, the series invites four local storytellers to offer artful interpretations of select objects on view in the show. 

Personality Tests; Fact or Fiction

Popular “personality tests” promote a deeper understanding of self. Or do they?  Dr. Keriazes from MetroHealth will help you explore how real these tests are and what we can learn from them. Virtual program. Registration required.

Register HERE.

This event is sponsored by Cuyahoga County Public Library.

How the Buddhist Teaching on Non-Self Offers a Path in These Uncertain Times

Building Trust through Representation: At the Intersection of Disability, Race and Parenting

Charisse (Nikki) Montgomery, Salina Miller and Patricia Parker, authors of We Dare Be Brave: African American moms and the emotional journey of raising children with disabilities, will share their personal experiences as Black parents and as advocates to improve the experiences and health outcomes of children with complex medical needs. Increasing empathy, equity and inclusion will require significant changes in the ways families, educators and health care providers think.  Participants will be invited to bring questions and will leave with practical strategies for the future.

Who Names the Neighborhood? A Question of Identity

Rick Guidotti & Positive Exposure: Recognizing Beauty in Difference

After a chance encounter with a young woman living with albinism, award-winning international fashion photographer Rick Guidotti began exploring images in medical textbooks.

Pretty/Funny: Women Comedians and Body Politics

Campus Conversations on JUSTICE: Cats, Dogs, Teens, and Soldiers: Reflections on the Virtue of Obedience

Pauline Shanks Kaurin, professor in the College of Leadership and Ethics at the Navy War College and the Admiral James B. Stockdale Chair in Professional Military Ethics will launch her new book On Obedience: Contrasting Philosophies for the Military, Citizenry, and Community. Shanks Kaurin will introduce new scholarship that draws from a variety of disciplines including classical studies, philosophy, history, international relations, literature, and military studies, to explore the ethics of obedience. 

In Our Own Words: PEARLS Ambassadors & Youth Advocacy

Join us to meet young ambassadors who are changing people's perspectives with their honesty, thoughtfulness, and humor.  They will discuss their own journeys and share what inspires them to speak out.  The Youth Ambassadors of PEARLS Project and their families are empowered self-advocates, using their unique voices to foster positive change.  The project is a creative tool for classrooms, professional development and research, as well as for anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding and respect for human di

Travel: A Crowdsourced Video Poem on Identity 

As part of the Cleveland Humanities Festival, Literary Cleveland partnered with the CSU Poetry Center to create "Preparations for Travel," a crowdsourced video poem on the theme of identity. For this project, poet Kamden Hilliard, Anisfield-Wolf Fellow at the CSU Poetry Center, developed an original three-part poem using lines and phrases selected from writing submitted by more than 40 local poets. The final video version of the poem, read by local performers, will premiere on Saturday, March 27, 2021.

Flavors of the World: Uzbek Plov

Mrs. Selbi Muhammetberdiyeva will demonstrate how to make delicious and flavorful Uzbek Plov, the national dish of Uzbekistan. Plov is a rice pilaf cooked with lamb or beef, onions, garlic, raisins, and carrots. Restaurants serve Plov with bread, tea, and a selection of side salads. 

Registration HERE.

This event is sponsored by Rocky River Public Library.

A Conversation with Poet Laureate Joy Harjo

Critically-acclaimed indigenous poet Joy Harjo discusses her work with David Lucas, Poet Laureate of the State of Ohio and lecturer in the Department of English. Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke/Creek Nation, is the author of several books of poetry, as well as collections of interviews and conversations, children’s books, and collaborative art texts.  She is the 23rd U.S. poet laureate  and the first Native American poet to serve in that position.

Understanding Alzheimer's and Dementia

Cynthia Davenport from the Alzheimer’s Association Cleveland Area Chapter will provide basic information that everyone needs to know about memory loss issues and what they mean for all of us. It incorporates video interviews with professionals, patients with dementia, and caregivers discussing real life issues. Virtual program. Registration required.

Register HERE.

This event is sponsored by Cuyahoga County Public Library.

Designing Victory

Award-winning architect Robert Madison was the first African-American to graduate from Case Western's School of Architecture, as well as the first to gain a degree in architecture in Ohio.  His firm, Robert P. Madison International, has been both the lead and associate architects for the design of major projects including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Great Lakes Science Center, and Cleveland Museum of Art.  His memoir, Designing Victory, co-written with journalist and author Carlo Wolff, tells the story of his hard-fought struggle to overcome racism and excel in his chosen field.

Indigeneity and Disability: Futures of Personhood, Care and Consent

What dreams for the world whisper through the cracks of this world that is breaking? This panel brings together the breadth and depth of five influential scholars, artists, cultural/political organizers and researchers to delve into how the embodied realities and analytics of both indigeneity and disability open political, cultural, medical and spiritual imaginaries about body, land, practices of care and consent. With Ella Callow, Jen Deerinwater, Juliet McMullin, AM Kanngieser, and Petra Kuppers, facilitated by Marina Tsaplina. 

Doctors, Suffragists, Socialists, Eugenicists: Identities and Politics in the Early Birth Control Movement

Folksong and Ethnic Cleansing in Central Europe

Desktop Dialogue: An Art Anthology, Chapter Two with Sarah Lohman

How many stories can a work of art tell?  

The series, An Art Anthology, accompanies the CMA exhibition Stories from Storage. Developed in collaboration with the creative writing organization Literary Cleveland, the series invites four local storytellers to offer artful interpretations of select objects on view in the show. 

A Conversation with Kevin Young

Kevin Young, director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture and poetry editor of The New Yorker, discusses his work with Ben Vinson, Hiram C. Haydn Professor of History and Provost and Executive Vice President at Case Western Reserve University.  Young is the author of thirteen books of poetry and prose and is the editor of nine other collections.  He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was named a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets in 2020.  

The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard: Incorporating Truth while Writing Fiction

Join author, actress and transformational storyteller Echo Brown for a conversation about how her real-life experiences have fueled her mold-breaking fiction writing.

From her inspiring and award-winning one-woman shows to her first book, Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard, Brown infuses her work with magical realism while still addressing the realities of racism, abuse, addiction, depression and poverty.  Learn about the life-changing lessons that inform her creativity and bring questions to share. 

Campus Conversations of Justice - Chasing Something Beautiful: What A Smart City Promises, What a City Can Do

M.R. Sauter, assistant professor at the University of Maryland College of Information Studies, will participate in a live-streamed discussion on disruptive activism, such as hacking as a form of activism ("hacktivism") and/or justice related to smart cities, municipal governance, and neo-corporate colonialism.

Catfish Scam

What is catfishing? How do you know if you are being catfished? Danelle Musil from the Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs will provide answers to these questions plus share ways you can protect yourself from being catfished online. Virtual program. Registration required.

Click HERE to register.

This event is sponsored by Cuyahoga County Public Library.

Adult Rocky River Readers Book Club: "The Vanishing Half" by Brit Bennett 

Spanning from the 1940s to the 1990s, this unforgettable novel follows twins, light-skinned Black sisters Desiree and Stella Vignes, who run away together from their racially-fixated small Louisiana town, only to separate a year later, when Stella decides to begin passing as a white woman. Register to receive an emailed invitation to join in our virtual discussion.

Click HERE to register.

Scam and Identity Theft

Rachel Slomovitz from Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People will share how to recognize scams, fraud and exploitation. Virtual program.

Desktop Dialogue: An Art Anthology, Chapter Three with Mourning [A] BLKstar 

How many stories can a work of art tell? 

The series An Art Anthology, accompanies the CMA exhibition Stories from Storage. Developed in collaboration with the creative writing organization Literary Cleveland, the series invites four local storytellers to offer artful interpretations of select objects on view in the show. 

"Animal Affinities" Structuring Identity in Medieval Hebrew Manuscripts

Personality Tests: Fact or Fiction

Popular “personality tests” promote a deeper understanding of self. Or do they?  Dr. Keriazes from MetroHealth will help you explore how real these tests are and what we can learn from them. Virtual program. Registration required.

Register HERE.

This events is sponsored by Cuyahoga County Public Library.

Virtual Panel Discussion: Slovenian Neighborhoods of Cleveland

Cleveland is home to the largest settlement of Slovenians outside of Europe. Slovenian-Americans took advantage of the resources the city made available to them to build families and institutions and develop a lively cultural scene. Each of the city’s Slovenian neighborhoods was anchored by an imposing cultural Hall or majestic church (or both), surrounded by tidy homes and thriving businesses. Many high-profile Clevelanders emerged from those neighborhoods to leave their mark on the city.

The LatinX-Perience

While all Latinx individuals have varied backgrounds and unique family histories, we also encounter common threads that tie us together. Join us for a discussion exploring our shared and contrasting experiences as Latinx individuals growing up in the United States.  Registration required.

Register HERE.

This event is sponsored by Cuyahoga County Public Library.

Booked by the Police Chief: "Homeland Elegies" by Ayad Akhtar 

Read this inventive, fiction story inspired by the author’s personal experiences, to explore life as first-generation American-born Muslim man. Police Chief George Lichman will lead the discussion as we consider what creates personal and cultural identity. Register to receive an emailed invitation to join in our virtual discussion.

Click HERE to register.

The event is sponsored by Rocky River Public Library.

Contemplating the Sublime

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people around the world self-quarantined in hopes of slowing down the rate of infection. Everyday life was not as fixed as we perhaps once thought; and, since we often identify with our daily activities, so too did many of our identities seem untethered from this new reality. Our identities are (in part) constructs, narratives that we continue to affirm through our beliefs and our behaviors; in this regard, identity also allows us to intervene in the stories that we believe about ourselves.

Scam and Identity Theft

Rachel Slomovitz from Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People will share how to recognize scams, fraud and exploitation. Virtual program. Registration required.

Register HERE.

This event is sponsored by Cuyahoga County Public Library.

Desktop Dialogue: An Art Anthology, Chapter Four with Kamden Hilliard

How many stories can a work of art tell?   

The series An Art Anthology, accompanies the CMA exhibition Stories from Storage. Developed in collaboration with the creative writing organization Literary Cleveland, the series invites four local storytellers to offer artful interpretations of select objects on view in the show. 

Catfish Scam

What is catfishing? How do you know if you are being catfished? Danelle Musil from the Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs will provide answers to these questions plus share ways you can protect yourself from being catfished online. Virtual program. Registration required.

Register HERE.

This event is sponsored by Cuyahoga County Public Library.

Understanding Alzheimer's and Dementia

Cynthia Davenport from the Alzheimer’s Association Cleveland Area Chapter will provide basic information that everyone needs to know about memory loss issues and what they mean for all of us. It incorporates video interviews with professionals, patients with dementia, and caregivers discussing real life issues. Virtual program. Registration required.

Register HERE.

This event is sponsored by Cuyahoga County Public Library.

The Inequity of Climate Change: Finance, Policy, Justice

Online and Tinkham Veale University Center Ballroom, 11038 Bellflower Road, Cleveland, OH  44106 (Please note new location.)

A Conversation with Mary Weems and Bryant Keith Alexander

Virtual Event

Join CCPL for a conversation with Mary Weems and Bryant Alexander, authors of Still Hanging: Using Performance Texts to Deconstruct Racism and Collaborative Spirit Writing: Performance in Everyday Black Lives. Weems is a poet, playwright, performer, imagination-intellect theorist and Social Foundations scholar working in interpretive methods. Alexander is an author and interim dean of the Loyola Marymount University College of Communication and Fine Arts, and professor of Communication and Performance Studies.

Region 3 Ohio History Day: "Debate & Diplomacy"

Virtual event.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Cuyahoga County Public Library,  Parma Powers Branch, 6996 Powers Blvd., Parma, OH  44129

Create a template that you can use to make your own unique envelopes by using a cereal box and some leftover paper.

In the age of social media, receiving a hand-written letter or card can be very special and exciting! Using a cereal box and some leftover paper, you will create a template that you can use to make your own unique envelopes to add a personal touch to your letters or greeting cards.

Improv Games Workshop with Sam Dee

Cuyahoga County Public Library, Fairview Park Branch, 21255 Lorain Road, Cleveland, OH  44126

What is Knowledge? (3-part series)

Cuyahoga County Public Library, Independence Branch, 6361 Selig Drive, Independence, OH  44131

What is knowledge? Is knowledge something different, something more robust, than belief or opinion? Join us for a mind-bending but informative three-part series that investigates these questions.

Is Caste Equal to Internalized Attitude? A Theoretical Discussion

Virtual Event

Adrianne M. Crawford Fletcher, PhD, LISW, LCSW, Assistant Dean for Diversity & Inclusion and Adjunct Professor at CWRU, will host a discussion about Caste: the Origins of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson from the lens of Relational Theory. This perspective allows us to think about 'caste' from the view of 'internalized attitudes', to consider how these attitudes are formed, and how they determine our approach to relationships.

Music's Many Voices - Education Concert

Severance Hall, 11001 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH  44106

Age of Disinformation

 Virtual Event

In the Age of Disinformation, Dr. Froehlich discusses the rise of polarization in American society through disinformation wars by domestic and foreign actors, in which rational or consensus decision-making, facts and expertise are often derailed by and into culture wars.  These wars are likely to continue and deepen, putting American democracy in peril. 

Music's Many Voices - Education Concert

Severance Hall, 11001 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH  44106

Music's Many Voices - Education Concert

Severance Hall, 11001 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH  44106

Woori Sori (Our Voice) Responds to Who Was this Built to Protect

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, Gund Commons,11400 Euclid Avenue

What is Knowledge? (3-part series)

Virtual Event

What is knowledge? Is knowledge something different, something more robust, than belief or opinion? Join us for a mind-bending but informative three-part series that investigates these questions.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Cuyahoga County Public Library, Maple Heights Branch, 5225 Library Lane, Maple Heights, OH  44137

Create a template that you can use to make your own unique envelopes to add a personal touch to your letters or greeting cards.

In the age of social media, receiving a hand-written letter or card can be very special and exciting! Using a cereal box and some leftover paper, you will create a template that you can use to make your own unique envelopes to add a personal touch to your letters or greeting cards.

TOWN BLOODY HALL (USA, 1979)

Cinematheque, Peter B. Lewis Theater, Cleveland Institute of Art, 11610 Euclid Avenue

Town Bloody Hall (USA, 1979) Chris Hegedus, D.A. Pennebaker

Virtual Panel Discussion: Writing the Region

This roundtable will consider the opportunities and challenges for presses, literary publications, and media groups attempting to promote writing about and within the region known as the American Midwest.

Write-In with Literary Cleveland: Writing Inspired by Black Art 

Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH  44106

Fuel your writing with inspiration from Black art. 

Stop by CMA any time between 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. and explore the works in Currents and Constellations: Black Art in Focus through a variety of writing prompts and activities with Literary Cleveland. CMA curator Key Jo Lee will be on hand to answer questions about the works on view. 

TOWN BLOODY HALL (USA, 1979)

Cinematheque, Peter B. Lewis Theater, Cleveland Institute of Art, 11610 Euclid Avenue

Town Bloody Hall (USA, 1979) Chris Hegedus, D.A. Pennebaker

Island Hopping

Tinkham Veale University Center Ballroom A, 11038 Bellflower Road

How do you craft an emotional story while translating very technical and abstract information? Drawing from raw tape of interviews with scientists, Jad Abumrad, composer, journalist, creator and host of Radiolab, focuses on the inherent struggles in science communication (or interpreting any technical or difficult information) – what happens when you get it wrong, how to fix it, and how it’s useful to embrace error in the process.  

This lecture will also be live-streamed.

Common Ground in the Age of Misinformation

Cuyahoga County Public Library, North Olmsted Branch, 27403 Lorain Road, North Olmsted, OH  44070

Join us to discuss how to move past misinformation and form connections despite differences.

Respectful discourse and creating common ground are essential to maintain relationships, whether with your family, friends, or neighbors. Join us to discuss how to move past misinformation and form connections despite differences.

Registration required.  Register HERE.

2022 Issa Lecture - Art as Transformation: Using Photography for Social and Environmental Change

Tinkham Veale University Center Ballroom A, 11038 Bellflower Road

The Case Against the Pill?: The Controversy Over Birth Control Side Effects, 1965-1975

Allen Memorial Library, Powell Room, Case Western Reserve University, 11000 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH  44106

Addressing Historical Truth in a Divided 21st Century Society

Virtual Event.

Artifact Spotlight: "It's Been Said All Along"

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1100 E 9th Street, Cleveland, OH  44114

Book Chat with Chief Lichman-Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger

Rocky River Public Library, Green Room, 1600 Hampton Road, Rocky River, OH  44116

Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger

What can we learn from exploring the ideas of loyalty and belonging, while also constantly trying to find a purpose to our lives? Why is adversity more memorable than a happy occasion? Pick up this book and join the discussion on how we are stronger together and ways we can make those connections happen, led by Rocky River Police Chief George Lichman.

We Want Everything: Opening Event

Cleveland Institute of Art, Reinberger Gallery

Moral Grandstanding in American Discourse: Is It a Problem?

Virtual Event

2022 Baker-Nord Distinguished Faculty Lecture: What are Dreams For?

Tinkham Veale University Center Ballroom A, 11038 Bellflower Road

Improv Games Workshop with Sam Dee

Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brecksville Branch, 9089 Brecksville Road, Brecksville, OH  44141

Universal Inclusivity in Japanese Pure Land Buddhism: LGBTQ+ and Jodo Shinshu

Clark Hall Room 206, 11130 Bellflower Road, Cleveland, OH  44106 The exclusion of marginalized groups within society via the endorsement of religious bodies has been a topic of much attention but little change. Doctrinal and Qualitative statements are often used to define the behavior and expectations of followers of many different faiths. The unwelcoming and exclusive environment and discourse has led to a generalized rejection of religion by many people in marginalized communities.  

Age of Disinformation

Virtual Event

In the Age of Disinformation, Dr. Froehlich discusses the rise of polarization in American society through disinformation wars by domestic and foreign actors, in which rational or consensus decision-making, facts and expertise are often derailed by and into culture wars.  These wars are likely to continue and deepen, putting American democracy in peril. 

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Cuyahoga County Public Library, Berea Branch, 7 Berea Commons, Berea, OH  44017

Create a template that you can use to make your own unique envelopes to add a personal touch to your letters or greeting cards.

In the age of social media, receiving a hand-written letter or card can be very special and exciting! Using a cereal box and some leftover paper, you will create a template that you can use to make your own unique envelopes to add a personal touch to your letters or greeting cards.

Rhinestone Revolutionaries on the Flaming River: Untucking Cleveland’s Drag Past

Tinkham Veale University Center Ballroom A, 11038 Bellflower Road, Cleveland, OH  44106

Internal Exclusion and Caste: A Philosophical Discourse

Rocky River Public Library, 1600 Hampton Road, Rocky River, OH  44116

Following a short lecture on internal exclusion and philosophical concepts related to American social hierarchies, we will have an engaging discussion focusing on Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. Presented by Matthew Dargaj, Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at Lorain County Community College. 

This event is sponsored by Rocky River Public Library.

Film Screening: The First Step (USA, 2021)

Playhouse Square, 1501 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44115

Year: 2021 Country: USA Language: English Run Time: 89 minutes

Adult RRPL Readers Book Group: The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

Rocky River Public Library, Green Room, 1600 Hampton Road, Rocky River, OH  44116

A Depression-era woman faces a wrenching choice between fighting for the Dust Bowl-ravaged land she loves in Texas or pursuing an uncertain future in California in this epic and stirring story of hardship and love.

Registration required.  Register HERE.

This event is sponsored by Rocky River Public Library.

Educating for the Future: The Intersection of Education and Humanistic Inquiry

This event has been cancelled and will be rescheduled for Fall 2022.

Common Ground in the Age of Misinformation

Cuyahoga County Public Library, Middleburg  Heights Branch, 16699 Bagley Road, Cleveland, OH  44130

Join us to discuss how to move past misinformation and form connections despite differences.

Respectful discourse and creating common ground are essential to maintain relationships, whether with your family, friends, or neighbors. Join us to discuss how to move past misinformation and form connections despite differences.

Registration required.  Register HERE.

Isabel Wilkerson

Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center, 1855 Ansel Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106

In Conversation: Derrick Adams and Ellen Rudolph

Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH  44106

Staged Reading: How Do We Talk to Each Other

Cleveland Public Library, 325 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, OH  44114

Literary Cleveland is organizing a free staged reading titled “How Do We Talk to Each Other?” during the Cleveland Humanities Festival.

Accepted submissions will be adapted, in collaboration with the authors, for the staged reading. The readings will be performed by experienced actors under the direction of Christine Howey.  

To Submit:

Deadline to submit: February 28, 2022.

Wednesday Night Special: WTF NFT

Virtual Event

Join us for Wednesday Night Special, a unique extension of the Cleveland Institute of Art's Lunch on Fridays lecture series that invites artists, arts workers and arts leaders to discuss their practice and pressing issues.

In this special lecture, WTF NFT, the basics of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) will be explored. Ever wonder what exactly an NFT is or how one is made? This program will answer those questions and provide a baseline, entry-level understanding of the technology and its impact on the art world.

Common Ground in the Age of Misinformation

Cuyahoga County Public Library, Independence Branch, 6361 Selig Drive, Independence, OH  44131

Join us to discuss how to move past misinformation and form connections despite differences.

Respectful discourse and creating common ground are essential to maintain relationships, whether with your family, friends, or neighbors. Join us to discuss how to move past misinformation and form connections despite differences.

Registration required.  Register HERE.

14th Annual Stop the Hate Youth Speak Out & Youth Sing Out Awards Ceremony

Virtual Event

Join us for the 14th Annual Stop the Hate® Youth Speak Out & Youth Sing Out Awards Ceremony which annually awards $100,000 in scholarships and prizes to middle and high schools, students, and teachers speaking out against bias and discrimination. Be inspired by young people of different cultures, backgrounds, and identities raising their voices to effect change in their communities.

·         Meet the top 20 Youth Speak Out essay contest finalists from 6th – 12th grades

·         Hear the essays of the 11th & 12th grade finalists 

Skin in the Game: A Conversation with Kyle Kidd

Clark Hall Room 206, 11130 Bellflower Road, Cleveland, OH  44106

Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, Kyle Kidd is an artistic powerhouse with personal and aesthetic investments in local social justice movements. As a musician and multi-modal artist, they intend for their art in all its forms to serve as a tribal legacy, oriented toward “representation, raw expression, and true freedom.” An activist in Cleveland for Black and Queer communities, much of Kidd’s work focuses on strategies for reparative justice while honoring and celebrating difference.

Sports Identity and Inclusivity On-&-Off the Court with the LGBTQ+ Youth Sports League

Tinkham Veale University Center, Senior Classroom, 11038 Bellflower Road 

Sports participation is one of the many areas where LGBTQ+ youth experience exclusion and discrimination resulting in decreased levels of participation, and increased negative impacts on a youth’s physical, mental, and behavioral health. The need to foster safe spaces where LGBTQ+ youth can participate in accessible, inclusive, and equitable sports platforms has never been more critical. 

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Cuyahoga County Public Library,  Brecksville Branch, 9089 Brecksville Road, Brecksville, OH  44141

Create a template that you can use to make your own unique envelopes by using a cereal box and some leftover paper.

In the age of social media, receiving a hand-written letter or card can be very special and exciting! Using a cereal box and some leftover paper, you will create a template that you can use to make your own unique envelopes to add a personal touch to your letters or greeting cards.

Tell Us a Story

Rocky River Public Library, Green Room, 1600 Hampton Road, Rocky River, OH  44116

Family Event.

Do you have a story to share for National Tell a Story Day? Use our puppets, or make your own to share a story with us.

Registration required.  Register HERE.

This event is sponsored by Rocky River Public Library.

Comic Talks

Rocky River Public Library, Community Room, 1600 Hampton Road, Rocky River, OH  44116

As part of our collaboration with the Cleveland Humanities Fest we will explore the theme of Discourse through graphic novels. We will look at a variety of books that demonstrate how graphic novels are a powerful tool for communicating important issues, especially for members of marginalized groups. 

Registration required. Register HERE.

The Chevalier: Music of Joseph Bologne - Education and Family Concerts

Severance Hall, 11001 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106

Common Ground in the Age of Misinformation

Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brecksville Branch, 9089 Brecksville Road, Brecksville, OH  44141

Join us to discuss how to move past misinformation and form connections despite differences.

Respectful discourse and creating common ground are essential to maintain relationships, whether with your family, friends, or neighbors. Join us to discuss how to move past misinformation and form connections despite differences.

Registration required.  Register HERE.

Common Ground in the Age of Misinformation

Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brecksville Branch, 9089 Brecksville Road, Brecksville, OH  44141

Join us to discuss how to move past misinformation and form connections despite differences.

Respectful discourse and creating common ground are essential to maintain relationships, whether with your family, friends, or neighbors. Join us to discuss how to move past misinformation and form connections despite differences.

Registration required.  Register HERE.

Represent: Writing Inspired by Black Art

Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH  44106   Spend your evening at the CMA with Literary Cleveland, as we provide space for writers to share work that reflects on Black art and its expansive possibilities.   

Otello in Concert

Severance Hall, 11001 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH  44106

About the Music: VERDI  Otello (complete opera) Acts I & II Acts III & IV Sung in Italian with English surtitles.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Cuyahoga County Public Library, Olmsted Falls Branch, 8100 Mapleway Drive, Olmsted OH  44138

Create a template that you can use to make your own unique envelopes to add a personal touch to your letters or greeting cards.

In the age of social media, receiving a hand-written letter or card can be very special and exciting! Using a cereal box and some leftover paper, you will create a template that you can use to make your own unique envelopes to add a personal touch to your letters or greeting cards.

Age of Disinformation

Virtual Event

In the Age of Disinformation, Dr. Froehlich discusses the rise of polarization in American society through disinformation wars by domestic and foreign actors, in which rational or consensus decision-making, facts and expertise are often derailed by and into culture wars.  These wars are likely to continue and deepen, putting American democracy in peril. 

Click HERE to register.

This event is sponsored by Cuyahoga County Public Library.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Cuyahoga County Public Library, Beachwood Branch, 25501 Shaker Blvd, Beachwood, OH 44122

Using a cereal box and some leftover paper, you will create a template that you can use to make your own unique envelopes to add a personal touch to your letters or greeting cards.

In the age of social media, receiving a hand-written letter or card can be very special and exciting! Using a cereal box and some leftover paper, you will create a template that you can use to make your own unique envelopes to add a personal touch to your letters or greeting cards.

Honoring Black Composers Community Concert

Karamu House, 2355 East 89th Street, Cleveland, OH 44106

Improv Games Workshop with Sam Dee

Cuyahoga County Public Library, Mayfield Branch, 500 Som Center Road, Mayfield, OH  44143

Otello in Concert

Severance Hall, 11001 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH  44106

About the Music: VERDI  Otello (complete opera) Acts I & II Acts III & IV Sung in Italian with English surtitles.

Honoring Black Composers Prelude Concert

Severance Music Center, 11001 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106

Join Musicians of The Cleveland Orchestra in a prelude concert entitled “Honoring Black Composers” showcasing music by African American Classical composers, past and present, including some Ohio natives! This prelude concert will take place in Reinberger Chamber Hall in advance of the evening Cleveland Orchestra festival concert.

Purchase tickets HERE.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Cuyahoga County Public Library, Warrensville Heights Branch, 4415 Northfield Road, Warrensville Heights, OH  44128

Create a template that you can use to make your own unique envelopes to add a personal touch to your letters or greeting cards.

In the age of social media, receiving a hand-written letter or card can be very special and exciting! Using a cereal box and some leftover paper, you will create a template that you can use to make your own unique envelopes to add a personal touch to your letters or greeting cards.

Honoring Black Composers Prelude Concert

Severance Music Center, 11001 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106

Join Musicians of The Cleveland Orchestra in a prelude concert entitled “Honoring Black Composers” showcasing music by African American Classical composers, past and present, including some Ohio natives! This prelude concert will take place in Reinberger Chamber Hall in advance of the evening Cleveland Orchestra festival concert.

Purchase tickets HERE.

Otello in Concert

Severance Hall, 11001 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH  44106

About the Music: VERDI  Otello (complete opera) Acts I & II Acts III & IV Sung in Italian with English surtitles.