Overview:
– The University of Michigan has secured a $4 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to create an Environmental Justice + Humanities Hub.
– This initiative aims to connect the humanities to environmental justice education and address disparities in access to clean air, water and other resources. – Integrating disciplines such as history, literature, anthropology, and philosophy, the center is a pioneering effort in higher education that uses the humanities for community-based environmental justice.
The University of Michigan (UM) has received a nearly $4 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to establish the Environmental Justice + Humanities Hub. The goal of this initiative is to integrate humanities disciplines—such as history, literature, anthropology, and philosophy—into environmental justice education and training. The goal is to address differences in access to clean air, water and other environmental resources.
Kyle Whyte, a professor in UM’s School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) and founding faculty director of the Tishman Center for Social Justice and Environment, is the principal investigator of the grant. He emphasized the importance of the humanities in understanding the emotional and cultural significance of environmental issues.
“The humanities … can elevate why the environment matters on an emotional and cultural level,” Whyte said in a statement. He also noted that these disciplines emphasize community-based solutions that facilitate democratic processes and collaboration.
Development Environmental Justice + Humanities Hub it involved collaboration between various UM entities, including SEAS, the Environmental Program, the Office of the Provost, and the College of Letters, Sciences and Arts (LSA). Barbra Meek, LSA’s associate dean for social sciences, expressed that the program would allow undergraduate students to take a humanistic approach to the study of human-environment interactions.
“It will be a transformative experience for all involved and demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and environmental justice,” she said.
The Center represents a pioneering effort in higher education to harness the transformative potential of the humanities in advancing community-based environmental justice. It reflects the shared values between UM and the Mellon Foundation and builds on the university’s history and ambitions in this area.
Environmental justice promotes equitable access to a healthy environment and ensures that no community is disproportionately burdened by pollution, climate change, or other environmental problems. The establishment of this center signifies UM’s commitment to addressing these issues through interdisciplinary education and community engagement.