Alabama Humanities Foundation

Specialties

As the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, AHF encourages and promotes appreciation of literature, history, law, philosophy and the arts through programs, events and grants to help others discover and share the meanings of life found through the humanities.

Founded in 1974 as a vehicle for awarding grants to grassroots organizations in Alabama, the AHF now offers all Alabamians opportunities to explore the humanities through funded public programs such as seminars, workshops, lectures, exhibitions, documentary videos and films.

History

Established in 1974.

What exactly are the humanities? According to the 1965 National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act, the term ‘humanities’ includes, but is not limited to, the study of the following: modern language; classical language; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archaeology; comparative religion and ethics. Also: the history, criticism, and theory of the arts; those aspects of social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods; and the study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to reflecting our diverse heritage, traditions, and history and to the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life.

So what does AHF do with the humanities? Through its many programs, AHF helps Alabamians improve their critical thinking, literacy, and lifelong learning skills and appreciate the diversity of human experiences celebrated through the study of the above-​mentioned subje