Let’s Rise: Stories of connecting through culture

Welcome to the next installment of LET’S RISE, the PA Humanities statewide video project,  created in partnership with Emmy-winning filmmaker Kelly Dessoye in celebration of our 50th anniversary. In these videos, you’ll see powerful examples of how everyday people across Pennsylvania are using the tools of the humanities to strengthen their lives and communities. 

In today’s fractured climate, they show why the humanities are not optional – they are essential, and they must endure. 

Each month, we release a few videos organized around a theme. In September, we highlighted how the humanities can spark community-building; in October we turned to Pennsylvania’s multi-layered history, exploring how the humanities help us remember, honor, and learn from the stories that shape who we are. Now we’re spotlighting how three different organizations uplift culture and use the tools of the humanities to connect and create positive change in their communities. 

We invite you to watch and reflect, and join us in ensuring that the humanities remain a vibrant force in Pennsylvania by making your gift today. 

Connecting Community through Culture in Reading

Daniel Egusquiza founded Barrio Alegría in Reading after the city was rated one of the poorest in the country in 2011. He wanted to create a community engagement organization that could create transformational change in the predominantly Latino and Hispanic community, and believed the tools of the arts and humanities could make it happen. Now, whether it’s through dance, neighborhood cleanups or other multigenerational events, Barrio Alegría is helping to create a sense of community where people work together, and the city they wake up to can be a better place than it was the day before. Egusquiza brings the stories and experiences of his city to his work as a member of PA Humanities’ board of directors, extending their impact statewide. 

“The humanities is happening everywhere. The humanities are changing this world. The humanities are making this world worth living.” – Daniel Egusquiza, executive director, Barrio Alegría

The People Project: Sharing Stories, Sharing Culture

When you spend time with people and share stories, it’s not only easier to understand them but also harder to judge them. That’s one of the motivations behind The People Project in Adams County. Adams County Arts Council director Lisa Cadigan started the project believing that sharing stories could be transformative for the community, inviting neighbors to learn more about one another, their backgrounds, their histories, and what they have in common. As participant Rukhsana Rahman said, once you connect with someone over a story, you have something in common. 

“People need to know each other as humans because when you get multiple perspectives on a universal theme it broadens your viewpoint of people and it helps you understand them better and love each other a little better.” – Lisa Cadigan, executive director, Adams County Arts Council

Honoring African Culture in Pittsburgh’s Hill District

Created to use African-centered culture to build community practice, Ujaama Collective in Pittsburgh uses African ancestral principles to inspire creativity, meaningful work and fair trade. The exchange of merchandise created by artists and artisans also leads to an exchange of ideas and cooperation in the historically Black Hill District neighborhood. 

“We are absolutely discovering the depths of our humanity in this work, and it is transformational.” – LaKeisha Wolf, executive director, Ujamaa Collective

Your support makes this work possible. LET’s rise together and keep the humanities strong in Pennsylvania, illuminating the strength and beauty of our shared humanity. Please consider a donation today.

This video series was made possible with the generous support of Tom Hagen.