The humanities are the way we learn about each other: our neighbors, ancestors, adversaries, even ourselves. Immersing ourselves in the humanities doesn’t just make us better citizens, it makes us better people.

In the humanities I have found life, color, and expression—the things that contribute to our sense of self in the universe, and without which our public square and our civic life would be barren.

Asking people to share their stories is the best way that I have seen to build community. When my story and your story are equally sought and equally treasured, we connect in a shared local history, and we remember how much we all matter.

It is the work of the humanities to remind us of what is important—to cause us to reflect on where we have been, who we are, and where we are going. These timeless questions are also urgent ones, as important today as they ever were.