The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana Billy Nungesser will recognize Grambling Professor Emerita Marianne Fisher-Giorlando with the organization’s 2023 Lifetime Contributions to the Humanities award at the Bright Lights Awards ceremony on May 11, 2023, in New Orleans. The award, which is part of LEH’s annual Humanities Awards, recognize those who have supported and been involved in public appreciation of issues central to the humanities.
For more than three decades, Marianne Fisher-Giorlando has worked to increase understanding of the American criminal justice system, as a professor at Grambling State University, working directly with the staff of the Angolite, and now serving on the board of the Angola Museum.
In addition to the Lifetime Contributions award, the LEH has announced eight Humanities Awards recipients, including 2023 Humanist of the Year Chef John Folse. Now in their 38th year, the LEH Humanities Awards offer a collective opportunity to celebrate all the humanities have to offer and honor those who have made significant contributions to the understanding of Louisiana’s history and culture.
“For nearly forty years the LEH has honored the individuals and organizations who uplift the history and culture of our state through the LEH Humanities Awards,” said LEH President and Executive Director Miranda Restovic. “We celebrate the documentation, exploration, and interpretation of the humanities—and know that our own work is made possible only through the work of others.”
Each awardee is selected by committees of experts in their fields and LEH staff and board members. The Humanist of the Year, Champion of Culture and Chair’s Award for Institutional Support are nominated and chosen in-house by members of the LEH board of directors.
