Events

This September join the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities to celebrate the grand opening of The Helis Foundation John Scott Center at 938 Lafayette St.

Housed in Turners’ Hall, LEH’s historic building in New Orleans’s central business and arts district, the center integrates arts and humanities programming unlike any other space in the Gulf South.

On Saturday, September 10, the center will host a free grand opening celebration with live music, snowballs, tours, outdoor art activities for children and more from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Eye of the Beholder: Why New Perspectives on Historical Documents Open Old Wounds  

A Constitution Day lecture with 2022 Humanities Book of the Year awardee Fatima Shaik 

Saturday, September 17 | 11 a.m. 

The Helis Foundation John Scott Center, 938 Lafayette Street in New Orleans 

The US Constitution is only one of the historical documents being reconsidered in light of new, diverse scholarship. Primary source documents relating to Louisianans of African descent are also under scrutiny. Must new perspectives on history necessarily ignite dueling realities? Join the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities for a Constitution Day lecture with author Fatima Shaik as she explores old truths, new truths, and the wisdom to know the difference.   

Fatima Shaik is the author of seven books, including the LEH 2022 Humanities Book of the Year Economy Hall: The Hidden History of a Free Black Brotherhood. Her work has also appeared in the Southern Review, Root, Callaloo, Literary Hub, In These Times, and New York Times as well as in the anthologies N.O. Lit: 200 Years of Louisiana Literature and Breaking Ice: An Anthology of Contemporary African American Fiction, among others. She is a retired assistant professor from Saint Peter’s University, trustee of PEN America, and Louisiana Writer Award recipient. Shaik counts at least seven generations in Louisiana, including ancestors of both enslaved and free people of French and African descent.  

This September join the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities to celebrate the grand opening of The Helis Foundation John Scott Center at 938 Lafayette St. Housed in Turners’ Hall, LEH’s historic building in New Orleans’s central business and arts district, the center integrates arts and humanities programming unlike any other space in the Gulf South.

This moderated panel discussion will provide community members, stakeholders, and cultural representatives an introduction to Scott, the center, and programming partnership opportunities.