February 16, 2022

50th Anniversary Video Released

Today, February 16, 2022, is the South Dakota Humanities Council’s 50th birthday!

On Feb. 16, 1972, the South Dakota Committee on the Humanities (now SDHC) became the eighth state humanities council formed in the United States in response to an act of Congress. A 501(c)(3) non-profit, SDHC is the only cultural organization in the state whose sole mission is to deliver humanities programming to the people of South Dakota.

Today kicks off the 50th anniversary celebration, which will continue throughout the year with special events, guest speakers, and a party at the 20th annual South Dakota Festival of Books, Sept. 23-25 in Brookings.

Join us in honoring the past 50 years of South Dakota Humanities Council history by watching our special anniversary video below.

Activities – How to Get Involved in the Celebration

SDHC’s weekly Brainstorming: The Human Connection program, held online via Zoom every Thursday at 10:30 am CT, will feature 50th Anniversary discussions throughout 2022. On Feb. 17, South Dakota State University Distinguished Professor Emeritus Charles Woodard joins host Lawrence Diggs for a conversation about the early days of SDHC.

The discussions are free; sign up at sdhumanities.org/brainstorming-the-human-connection/.

This month we also will begin an ongoing social media celebration called “On This Day,” which commemorates significant dates in the organization’s history. Follow SDHC on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to see these updates.

By the Decade: Key Dates in SDHC History (see more throughout 2022 on SDHC’s social media channels)

• 1972 - South Dakota Committee on the Humanities (now SDHC) is formed and receives $90,000 to support grassroots community programs in 1972-73
• 1984 - SDHC creates its first Speakers Bureau to support programs by humanities scholars across the state
• 1992 - The South Dakota Committee on the Humanities becomes the South Dakota Humanities Council
• 2003 - The first South Dakota Festival of Books kicks off in Deadwood.
• 2014 - SDHC launches the Young Readers One Book South Dakota program and Young Readers Festival of Books

We’re celebrating this entire year! Sign up for  E-Updates  to stay apprised of everything that’s going on.

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