Chicago Humanities Festival

May 1, 2016 12:30 pm - 4:00 pm Madison Ballroom

Madison Ballroom, Sunday May 1

Style Matters. From Air Jordans to the power suit to androgyny, what we wear speaks volumes about who we are as individuals and what we value across cultures. In our new annual spring festival, we will explore the historical, political, and economic complexity of style, from yesteryear to tomorrow; the runway to the street corner; the hoodie to the hijab. And we will venture beyond clothes into politics, music, literature, and more, to look at style as a force that can actually change the world, from James Brown’s dance moves to the lowly but adorable emoji. This spring, throw off your cares and come strike a pose at the Chicago Humanities Festival of Style!

Follow Along @ #CHFSTYLE

The Girl with the Purple Cane: Inclusive Style

(pictured; Photo by Hanna Agar) 12:30-1:30 PM

Straight from her invitation to the White House, Liz Jackson comes to Chicago to talk about the fast-growing movement calling for stylish design for people with disabilities. Blogging as “The Girl with the Purple Cane,” Jackson has started the Inclusive Fashion and Design Collective; she joins us to share her urgent message in her own witty and insightful style: “My body is a lemon. I’m making lemonade.”

This event will feature live open captions for universal access to program content.

Link

Robin Coste Lewis: Voyage of the Sable Venus

3-4 PM

Voyage of the Sable Venus, Robin Coste Lewis’s extraordinary new collection, won the 2015 National Book Award for poetry. It is an absorbing and moving meditation on the “Sable Venus” and other images of black womanhood that are scattered through the pages of history and linger with us today. With her unique style and voice, Coste Lewis is redefining what poetry can do in the world. She joins us in conversation and will also read from her latest book.

This program is presented in partnership with the Poetry Foundation.

Link