Carolina Public Humanities

08/28/2026

September! 👏 Events! 👏 Are! 👏 Here! 👏

And UNC scholars have so much to share with us this month! From lectures and forums to music and more, there’s plenty to discover.

Swipe through to check out the programs.

More info at humanities.unc.edu — link in bio

Stay curious!

08/13/2026

August 26! Put it in the calendar!! 🎸 We’ll be at Flyleaf Books with Bill Moore!

A 2026 UNC grad, Bill brings together old North Carolina blues, bluegrass and country with his own fresh sound.

Come hang, listen to some great music and hear the stories behind it. 🎶

Grab your spot at the link in bio or at go.unc.edu/bill

🗓 Wednesday, August 26 | 6:00 pm
📍 Flyleaf Books
🎟 $10 | go.unc.edu/bill

Image is from his 2026 album, 'Bill Moore and His Secret Admirers.' Give it a listen!

08/11/2026

Our Fall 2026 events are HERE! 🌟

We’ve got a full season of good things to look forward to: book groups, American history lectures, art walks, live music, big questions, good conversations and more.

See our full calendar & register at humanities.unc.edu

08/03/2026

🙌📚

More than 50 educators across North Carolina came to Wilmington to participate in four days of professional development, called “Harbors of Democracy.” Some of the sessions were about military service and civic responsibility, but one of the main topics for exploration was the deadly 1898 Wilmin...

07/31/2026

This summer, 100 educators from across North Carolina joined us for our Democracy in Place retreats in Asheville and Wilmington. Together, we explored how democracy has been shaped, challenged, and carried forward across our state, and how these histories can enrich civic learning in classrooms today.

To the teachers who spent their summers learning alongside us: thank you for making North Carolina a better place. ❤️🤍💙

05/28/2026

Happy (belated) 85th, Bob Dylan!

Last night we were joined by the incredibly talented Jess Klein, Dawn Landes, and Bowed Dylan to perform and discuss the songs that made him a legend. A huge thank you to Ashley Melzer — who always brings such brilliant curiosity to these conversations — for her moderation.

And yes, of course there was cake. 🎂

04/23/2026

We are thrilled to congratulate Lloyd Kramer on receiving the 2026 C. Knox Massey Distinguished Service Award! 🎉

As the former director of Carolina Public Humanities, Kramer’s impact on our organization and on the broader community at Carolina is immeasurable.

This recognition is so well deserved. Thank you for your extraordinary dedication and your unwavering commitment to the value of the humanities. Carolina — and Carolina Public Humanities — is a richer place because of you.

Congratulations!

You can read more here: go.unc.edu/26massey

04/20/2026

Huge thanks to Professor Teresa Bejan for coming all the way from Oxford to share her expertise with us at the Adams Symposium for the Humanities last Friday.

Professor Bejan traced the idea of equality from ancient Greece and Rome to early modern England—uncovering how its meaning has evolved over time.

Fun fact: when the Declaration of Independence was first translated into Japanese, there were no direct equivalents for the phrase “all men are created equal.” Thus, in early translations, it appeared as “created in the same rut,” a Japanese phrase that means “universally in the same way.”

Missed the lecture? Don’t worry—it will be on YouTube soon!

04/17/2026

Tonight and tomorrow! Hear from an Oxford scholar on the history and meaning of equality. More info: go.unc.edu/9adams

📍Located in the FedEx Global Education Center, UNC - Chapel Hill

🗓️Keynote Address and Reception: Friday, April 17 | 5:30 – 8:00 pm
Panel Discussion and Response: Saturday, April 18 | 10:00 am – 12:30 pm

TOMORROW, join Carolina Public Humanities for the ninth annual Adams Symposium for the Public Humanities, featuring Teresa Bejan, a professor of political theory at the University of Oxford.

Bejan will discuss themes from her forthcoming book, "First Among Equals," which explores equality as a guiding principle of politics by recovering its forgotten history. Her talk will examine how a 17th-century social movement radically transformed the meaning of equality long before the Declaration of Independence, and how those ideas continue to shape debates about equality today in Europe, America and beyond.

A panel discussion held Saturday will include experts Stephanie DeGooyer, associate professor and Frank Borden and Barbara Lasater Hanes Fellow of English and Comparative Literature and Curriculum on Global Studies, Ejuerleigh Jones, a faculty fellow at the School of Civic Life and Leadership, and Michael Vazquez, a teaching assistant professor of philosophy and associate director of the Parr Center for Ethics.

📍FedEx Global Education Center
🗓️ Keynote Address and Reception: Friday, April 17 | 5:30 – 8 p.m.
Panel Discussion and Response: Saturday, April 18 | 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
🔗 Learn more and register: go.unc.edu/9adams

04/07/2026

What do we really mean when we say “all people are equal”?

Join us for The Ninth Annual Adams Symposium for a conversation with Dr. Teresa Bejan, Professor of Political Theory at the University of Oxford and Fellow of Oriel College, for a talk on the history and meaning of equality.

📍Located in the FedEx Global Education Center, UNC - Chapel Hill

🗓️Keynote Address and Reception: Friday, April 17 | 5:30 – 8:00 pm
Panel Discussion and Response: Saturday, April 18 | 10:00 am – 12:30 pm

🔗More info and virtual viewing registration: go.unc.edu/9adams

On Saturday, hear a response from panelists:

Stephanie DeGooyer, Associate Professor & Frank Borden and Barbara Lasater Hanes Fellow of English and Comparative Literature and Curriculum on Global Studies

Ejuerleigh Jones, Faculty Fellow at the School of Civic Life and Leadership

Michael Vazquez, Teaching Assistant Professor of Philosophy & Associate Director of the Parr Center for Ethics