The Pursuit of Happiness
In 2005, the Council for the Humanities received a special award from the National Endowment for the Humanities to fund projects exploring modern interpretations of "the pursuit of happiness," as inspired by the Declaration of Independence.
The project Pursuit of Happiness: An Indigenous View created an exhibit and lecture series about how indigenous peoples of the US were denied the pursuit of happiness promised in the Declaration of Independence. The exhibit is still on display at the Tomaquag Museum, and was newly renovated in 2018.
Everyday Happiness is a set of documentaries and short vignettes on what happiness means to different groups of Rhode Islanders, including first generation immigrants, senior citizens, and more. The videos highlighted here looked at high schoolers in public and private schools, citizens of faith, and 7th graders.
Walls of Heritage, Walls of Pride consisted of a series of programs, including presentations, films, and panels, celebrating African-American murals in Rhode Island. Urban Youth in Pursuit of Happiness became a dance performance called “I Never Liked Sad Stories.”