Join Nevada Humanities on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 5:00 pm PT for a conversation with Jerald Crook, founder and executive director of Higher Ground Society. During this livestreamed event, we will discuss how the humanities are everywhere and for everyone; the importance of community and self-determination; Black excellence, resilience, and legacy; and the work and initiatives of the Higher Ground Society. The stream will begin with gameplay of the role-playing musical game Stray Gods and conclude with a conversation and audience Q&A.
Audience participation is welcome and encouraged. While no account is needed to tune in, we encourage you to create a free Twitch account so you can participate in the chat with us.
Photo courtesy of Jerald Crook
Jerald Crook is a proud Southern Black queer man. Hailing from Bay Minette, the county seat of Baldwin County, Alabama, he attended Auburn University where he graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a minor in Sustainability. He began his professional career working in public and academic libraries before joining the Alabama Bicentennial Commission staff as community relations specialist. There, he served as liaison between the commission, local and state organizations, and community bicentennial committees. Jerald later went on to hold roles in program management and grants administration at Alabama Humanities Alliance and Georgia Humanities, respectively. As of May 2019, he holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and in 2022, he was named one of South Arts' Emerging Leaders of Color.
Jerald founded Higher Ground Society in 2014 (then Young Man Visions, Old Man Dreams) with a desire to get the people around him excited about the things he was passionate about: the arts, the humanities, and social and environmental justice. Through his work with Higher Ground Society, he hopes to be a part of meaningful, positive change within the social and cultural landscape of Alabama and the South by building inclusive, sustainable communities steeped in love and appreciation for the arts and humanities and all community members therein.
Humanities at Play explores and showcases the significance of the humanities in everyday life through games, media, and popular culture. Join us for dynamic and interactive online and in-person events designed to spark thoughtful conversation and reflection. Learn more here.
