Amidst an era of increasing polarization, the Walter de Gruyter Foundation and 1014 launched a new trans-Atlantic series to take a closer look at some of the controversial terms that deepen the divides in our societies. Vitally important concepts come out of academic humanities and travel through our everyday lives. But sometimes these terms are intentionally mis-defined, like “critical race theory” or “white privilege,” and sometimes they are simplified to a point of misrepresentation of the work the term was meant to do, like “intersectionality” and “gender performance.”

Humanities for Humans strives to generate a better understanding of what the humanities are and what role they can play in today’s complex world. In each episode, two renowned experts from the academic world will engage in a moderated discussion on one of the prevalent concepts of our times such as racism and fascism, repair and reparation, identity politics, and transgender. Shedding light on their original roots and meaning, the humanities are re-energized for “humans”, particularly the way we live and interact with each other.

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Board of Advisors: “Humanities for Humans”

Jennifer F. Hamer, Penn State University
Professor of African American Studies and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Interim Associate Vice Provost for Educational Equity
Senior Faculty Mentor, Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity
Ph.D. in Sociology, University of Texas at Austin

Michael P. McDonald, University of Florida
Professor of Political Science
Ph.D. in Political Science, University of California at San Diego

Helmut Walser Smith, Vanderbilt University
Martha Rivers Ingram Professor of History
Ph.D. in History, Yale University

John H. McWhorter, Columbia University
Ph.D. in Linguistics, Stanford University

Manuela Gerlof, De Gruyter Foundation
Vice President Publishing, Humanities and Social Sciences, De Gruyter
Ph.D. in German Literature, Humboldt University Berlin

Katja Wiesbrock Donovan, 1014
Executive Director 1014
Ph.D. in International Law, University of Goettingen

Irene Kacandes, Dartmouth College, 1014 Board Member, De Gruyter book series editor
Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, Harvard University