October 19, 2024

In July 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and shortly after the death of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement in Minneapolis, the South Dakota Humanities Council launched its weekly virtual discussion program, Brainstorming: The Human Connection. Since then, the program has proven its value by uniting people for meaningful conversations. Now, with the goal of constant improvement, SDHC is reinvigorating Brainstorming.

Effective November 7, Brainstorming will move from a weekly to a bi-weekly schedule and from a mid-morning to a 12:00 PM CST start time. It will also feature a “brown bag seminar” feel, returning to its roots in addressing challenging topics through civil discourse.

SDHC Program Coordinator Stacy Chidaushe hopes that the lunch hour time slot will enable more interested individuals to attend and that the provocative topics will encourage deeper engagement with the complex and sometimes difficult subject matter.

“South Dakota has a plethora of stories to tell, and sometimes those stories conflict with one another,” Chidaushe said. “Brainstorming can be a catalyst for sharing ideas and potential solutions by providing a platform on which all viewpoints can be shared and heard. Difference doesn’t have to be uncomfortable if we keep the end goal in mind.”

The program will continue with its original host, SDHC Scholar Lawrence Diggs, leading the discussions. At the conclusion of each Brainstorming session, a recording will be posted on the SDHC YouTube channel for those who could not join the event live.

In the four years since its inception, Brainstorming has hosted many informative guests addressing topics ranging from excessive force by law enforcement to Native American beliefs about the environment; from the importance of books to the impact of artificial intelligence; from holiday food traditions to community festivals.

These online discussions unite people from around the state and country while broadening their understanding of one another’s perspectives. In doing so, they fulfill SDHC’s mission to “celebrate literature, promote civil conversation, and tell the stories that define our state,” Chidaushe said.

“We have so much to talk about in South Dakota, and Brainstorming is the perfect opportunity to bring our ideas together.”

Learn more about humanities programming in South Dakota by signing up for SDHC e-Updates!