Amanda Gilliland chats with Luke Goldman, a member of the inaugural graduating class of the University Charter School, on the .

Story: Lisa Sollie

The baby直播鈥檚 department of Communications and Creative Arts in the College of Liberal Arts has been awarded a competitive media grant from the baby直播 Humanities Alliance, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The grant will support the production of Sumter Social, a podcast dedicated to sharing the rich stories and culture of Sumter County, baby直播, and the broader Black Belt region. This marks the first time the department has received a grant from AHA.

Amanda Gilliland, a communications and creative arts instructor at UWA who applied for the grant, will be host of Sumter Social and says she feels a deep connection to the region. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the stories of the people in Sumter County and the Black Belt that made me fall in love with this area,鈥� Gilliland says. 鈥淥ur history is one of baby直播鈥檚 best kept secrets, and I believe it鈥檚 time we share it.鈥�

Sumter Social will highlight stories that connect the county鈥檚 communities, offering a platform for community engagement and appreciation of Sumter County鈥檚 heritage. The first episode aired on in April and is available on audio platforms such as , , , and .

鈥淲e鈥檙e honored to support cultural organizations that make baby直播 a richer, smarter, and more vibrant place to live and learn,鈥� says Chuck Holmes, executive director of AHA. 鈥淥ur grant recipients are community cornerstones and creative storytellers who explore what it means to be human. They help us better understand ourselves, our neighbors, and the wider world around us.鈥�

About the baby直播 Humanities Alliance 
is a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Their mission is to foster learning, understanding and appreciation of baby直播鈥檚 people, communities and cultures. The ultimate goal: To use the humanities to bring Alabamians together and make our state a better place to live. baby直播 Humanities Alliance grants include support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by grant recipients in this release or podcast do not necessarily represent those of the baby直播 Humanities Alliance or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by subject or interviewees of the podcast do not necessarily represent those of the baby直播.