When Elizabeth Cady Stanton declared she was bringing up suffrage at a women’s rights convention to be held in July of 1848, it was a bold move undoubtedly causing some of her family and friends to question her sanity. Around 300 women and men gathered in Seneca Falls, New York for the first women’s convention in the U.S. The participants ranged from 14 year-old Susan … Continue reading “Declaration of Sentiments” Radio Program
The Humanities Learning Center is having a lot of fun this academic year bringing you virtual programming. I encourage you to follow our Facebook page to see everything we release. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/humanitieslearningcenteratdeltacollege So far this month, here’s what we’ve been up to… Dr. Amy French (History) gave a two-part talk on suffrage. Part One: https://youtu.be/rWJ9B68kKv4 Part Two: https://youtu.be/xGNYVKIF958 Professor Donny Winter (English) … Continue reading Virtual Offerings of the Humanities Learning Center for September 2020
Generally, Delta’s Humanities Learning Center has a robust calendar of events each academic year. Some of the community’s favorite part of our programming are our brown bag presentations brought to us by scholars from the fields of history, philosophy, literature, and much more. Since the pandemic has made face-to-face gatherings of this size unsafe right now, we are sharing our events virtually. Dr. Amy French … Continue reading Women Fight for the Vote Brown Bag Part One
On August 18, 1920, the US Congress ratified the 19th amendment enfranchising women…and forever changing the American political landscape. This “Four-Minute History of Suffrage” by Amy Holtman French, Ph.D. originally aired on FMQ 90.1 for Delta College’s public radio program, Moments in Time. Continue reading A Four-Minute History of Suffrage
The humanities bring alive the human experience and celebrate our shared humanity. They not only feed our soul they are essential to our humanity, our survival, and our growth. Many of you might be feeling isolated right now, so let’s use our love of the humanities to unite us. I (Dr. Amy French) have been using this time to keep a journal where I recount … Continue reading What aspects of the humanities are you engaging in right now?
As part of the Great Michigan Read, and thanks to resources from the Michigan Humanities Council, the Humanities Learning Center of Delta College will be hosting a book club on What the Eyes Don’t See by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, Flint pediatrician. “Here is the inspiring story of how Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, alongside a team of researchers, parents, friends, and community leaders, discovered that the children … Continue reading “What the Eyes Don’t See” Book Club
Join Delta’s Humanities Learning Center on Wednesday, October 9 in N-007 from noon until 1 for a Brown Bag presentation by Professor Darci Doll of Delta’s Philosophy department. Professor Doll will use the philosopher Aristotle to examine how the limited access to friendship in “The Handmaid’s Tale” interferes with moral development. Her talk, “The Handmaid’s Tale, Friendship, and Moral Development,” is sure to provide us with … Continue reading Brown Bag on the Handmaid’s Tale for October 9, 2019
Topic: Consider the battles being fought for equal access from the 1950s through the 1970s. Make sure to think about all groups (women, racial minorities, LGBT) involved. How effective were the civil rights movements of that time? Which group gained the most? In what manner? Continue reading Blog Topic #7 for HIS 222 INET
How did the Vietnam War impact America? For your answer, think about: the role of media, racial tensions, expansion of presidential power, American protest, and changing foreign and domestic policy. Continue reading Blog Topic #6 for HIS 222 INET
Topic: Discuss the American internment of Japanese Americans. Consider the national justification for internment, living conditions, and the impact on Japanese Americans. How do you think the internment of Japanese Americans affected their conceptions of citizenship? How would you feel if you were in the same position: a law-abiding, American citizen who was rounded up and essentially jailed for something beyond your control? Continue reading Blog Topic #5 for HIS 222 INET
Topic #4: Discuss the positive and negative aspects of Prohibition. Do you think the government should have passed this type of “moral” legislation? Explain your answer. Continue reading Blog Topic #4 for HIS 222
Topic: Thinking about the diverse group of reformers that historians call the “Progressives,” discuss the following questions. What were the Progressives attempting to accomplish through regulation? Should the government set hours laws, regulate safety, prohibit child labor, set a minimum wage, and institute other work laws? Continue reading Blog Topic #3 for HIS 222
Topic: Consider politics at the turn of the century. More than half the population was still disenfranchised. With women not having the vote and African Americans discriminated against, how do you think the political process worked? Do you think that politics were considered an arena for the rich only? How did women, minorities, and working men impact the political process? Continue reading Blog Topic #2 for HIS 222
This week we are going to discuss the impact of the Industrial Revolution on workers during the Gilded Age (late 1800s). Employers ruled and the courts and legislatures generally sided with employers. Workers had little to no protection. How did industrialism affect workers? Why did employers find unions so objectionable, even dangerous? What benefits did workers see in unions? Continue reading Blog Topic #1 for HIS 222 INET
Topic: Think about the 1937 Flint strike (reflect both the textbook and chapter 13 of The Great Water). How did the New Deal strengthen unionism? How would the Flint workers have felt during the strike? How did this new type of striking revolutionize employer/employee relations? Continue reading Blog Topic #6 for HIS 237
Topic: Using my video, the annotated article (notice that I made some remarks where I disagree with the author), and the texts, discuss the 1885 Saginaw Valley Lumber Strike. The Ten Hour Law (1885), which working men (united under the Knights of Labor) fought for, was not effective enough to protect Michigan’s working men. Although a plethora of strikes were waged in numerous industries over long … Continue reading Blog Topic #4 for HIS 237
Topic: What does Goesaert v. Cleary tell us about gender norms of the time? Use the primary source on p. 699 and my article “Mixing It Up” to answer this question. Continue reading Blog Topic #6 for HIS 225
Thinking about the women you read about in this week’s articles and primary sources (350-376 and 377-382), as well as the labor movement and the Industrial Revolution, discuss wage work. Did our laws and social reform programs create gender constructs of men as wage earners? What gender constructs did we make at the turn of the century regarding women? Continue reading Blog Topic #4 for HIS 225
Topic: Thinking about “Devil in the Shape of a Woman,” why did neighbors or acquaintances launch accusations of witchcraft against particular persons? What do you think this tells us about gender and about this time in American history? **Please refer to the blog schedule on eLearning (under Content) to see who is assigned to post a blog for this week. You will need to create your … Continue reading Blog Topic #1 for HIS 225
In our U.S. history class, different students will blog weekly in response to the material we covered, as well as questions that I (Professor Amy French) posed to them. Everyone in the class is responsible for commenting. Each week, I will post the blog topic for all our readers to see. –Dr. Amy French Continue reading U.S. History Blog Posts
In our gender history class, different students will blog weekly in response to the material we covered, as well as questions that I (Professor Amy French) posed to them. Everyone in the class is responsible for commenting. Each week, I will post the blog topic for all our readers to see. –Dr. Amy French Continue reading Gender History Posts
A video highlighting one of our History Major students who continued on her pathway to a four-year university in Michigan after completing the “History Major Pathway” at Delta! Meet Veronica (Vern) Martin: Continue reading History Student Spotlight Video
In our Michigan history class covering the time from first inhabitants of the area through the 1960s, different students will blog weekly in response to the material we covered, as well as questions that I (Professor Amy French) posed to them. Everyone in the class is responsible for commenting. Each week, I will post the blog topic for all our readers to see. –Dr. Amy … Continue reading Michigan History Blog Posts
It’s no secret–Delta College students are some of the best around! This video by Benjamin Barrett–a history student and good documentarian highlights Saginaw’s past, as well as an exhibit at the Castle Museum. The short film honors the history of the First Ward Community Center by showcasing one of its former director’s and agent of change, Edith Baillie. The video captures Saginaw’s multi-cultural past and … Continue reading Short Film on Saginaw’s Edith Baillie
The Humanities Learning Center (HLC) is a group of dedicated faculty working alongside administrative, support staff, and community partners whose mission is to bring the relevance and vitality of the humanities to the Great Lakes Bay Region. We support initiatives to encourage the enrollment of students in Delta humanities disciplines and facilitate their transfer to four-year universities. We advocate for the value of the humanities … Continue reading What is the Humanities Learning Center?
