Why The Humanities Matter: An MGA Faculty Q&A With Dr. LaRonda Sanders-Senu

Author: Sheron Smith
Posted: Wednesday, September 10, 2025 12:00 AM
Categories: Pressroom | Faculty/Staff | School of Arts and Letters

Macon, GA

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Even in a world increasingly shaped by STEM and technology, literature and history give us a chance to step into someone else’s shoes, understand the forces that shape our society, and see connections we might otherwise miss. In this Q&A, MGA’s Dr. LaRonda Sanders-Senu explores the enduring value of the humanities and how engaging with them can foster empathy, strengthen critical thinking, and guide us toward a more thoughtful, connected future.

How can literature and history help us better understand the divisions we see in today’s society?

According to the National Association of Educational Progress, in 2022, 40 percent of American eighth graders scored below the basic level in U.S. history.  Thirty percent of American twelfth graders scored below the basic level in reading in 2019. Alarmingly, “26 percent of all twelfth graders in the nation reported that they never read stories or novels, and 51 percent of twelfth graders reported that they never read poems outside of school.” These statistics reflect declines from previous assessments.

Though these young people are brimming with potential and talent that we should all cultivate, these statistics do not bode well for our society.  The American ideal assumes a degree of individuality and intellectual autonomy that leads to natural differences. However, the cultural, social, and political divisions that have been expanding for at least the last forty years are due, in part, to growing anti-intellectualism and passive disregard for the humanities.

The study of both history and literature helps provide the context that we need to understand the world in which we live. Context is everything! A recent nursing graduate may find it difficult to understand why some demographic groups are distrustful of the American medical system.  Quick research into tragedies such as “The Monster Study” out of Iowa or the “Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment” would help them interrogate the parameters of medical ethics and how the intersection of race and class impact medical care, just as reading the play Miss Evers’ Boys, which is based on the Tuskegee Experiment, further illuminates the psychological and physical toll of medical malpractice—the human costs—which can foster personal connections and understanding between patients and providers.  History and literature teach us that our contemporary moment is shaped by long-ranging conversations, events, debates, and conflicts faced by generations that have come before us. Missing context makes us less effective professionals, ill-equipped to fully understand the beliefs and circumstances of others.

What role do the humanities, especially literature and history, play in fostering empathy and dialog across differences?

When she won the Pulitzer Prize in Literature in 1993, Toni Morrison explained, in her Pulitzer lecture that, “The vitality of language lies in its ability to limn the actual, imagined and possible lives of its speakers, readers, writers.” Morrison captures the dynamic interplay between us and texts when we actively engage as readers of literature and history.  Not only did reading works like Morrison’s The Bluest Eye help me see glimmers of myself, but it helps my students, many of whom were born in the 21st century, far from Jim Crow and segregation, understand the pernicious impact of internalized inferiority in the lives of children. As noted previously, many young people are less knowledgeable about history and less proficient in critical reading skills. In the absence of this knowledge, true understanding of the world devolves into undeveloped anecdotes, leading to a tendency to ignore or erase difficult topics.  Historical and literary texts shed light on and urge us to engage with experiences unlike our own. Those encounters are sometimes uncomfortable. On occasion, they make us question narratives that we hold dear. Most importantly, they limn the universal aspects of humanity, while simultaneously revealing the qualities that make us unique.  From these encounters, we are better able to empathize with people and circumstances that are outside of our comfort zones.  

Some people argue that the humanities are less practical than STEM fields. Why do you believe literature and history remain vital for students today?

STEM fields are on the cutting edge of industries that are changing the world.  Their significance is evident. However, I would argue that STEM students with a solid background in the humanities will have a stronger skillset than their peers.  Literature and history help foster critical thinking skills. Engaging with historic and literary narratives is not a passive process. It is an interactive activity that requires critical thinking, which is essential to cognitive development. STEM professionals are able to apply those critical-thinking skills to problem-solving tasks. Interacting with other humans is essential to almost all career paths. Physician and former president of Cornell University, David Skorton, admits that, “Many of us [scientists] never received the education in the humanities or social sciences that would allow us to explain to nonscientists what we do and why it is important.” STEM professionals need to be able to communicate effectivity; whether they are explaining the significance of their work, engaging in collective projects, or interacting with peers or other stakeholder in the global marketplace, they must be knowledgeable about the context that informs ideas and interactions as well as exhibit empathy toward those around them.  These are all skills that students begin to develop in humanities classrooms.

Are there particular works of literature or historical examples you point to that show how the humanities can help communities heal or move forward?

As someone who loves to read and is fascinated by history, it is difficult to limit my examples to only a few.  Below are some contemporary texts that demonstrate the power of the humanities and the importance of grappling with difficult moments in human history.

 

  • Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka: This lyrical novel explores the lives of Japanese immigrants and Japanese Americans in the first half of the twentieth century. Otsuka forces her reader to grapple with the challenges of immigration and the complicated process of assimilation. The work depicts the personal cost of Japanese interment during WWII.

 

  • Drowning in Fire by Craig Womack: This multi-generational tale explores a Muskogee Creek family, interweaving Native American history, such as the Crazy Snake Rebellion, with the characters’ struggle with identity in the late twentieth century.

 

  • The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson: This historical work explores The Great Migration, during which millions of African Americans left the American south seeking greater economic opportunity and fleeing Jim Crow. By sharing the personal stories of migrants, Wilkerson chronicles African Americans’ attempts to attain the American dream.

 

  • The Diary Keepers: World War II in the Netherlands, as Written by the People Who Lived Through It by Nina Siegal: This work focuses on the personal writings of Dutch victims, Nazi collaborators, and Jewish allies during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during WWII. By sharing multiple perspectives, Siegal reveals the complications and contradictions of humanity.

 

Dr. LaRonda Sanders-Senu is an associate professor of English at MGA. She is the co-editor of "Insecure, Awkward & #Winning: Intersectionality of Race, Gender, & Sexuality in the Works of Issa Rae." She is currently working on a project titled "The Living Legacy of African American Studies: Its Past, Present, and Future(s)." Her research includes intraracial class dynamics within African American literature of the 20th and 21st centuries and respectability politics of Black female sexuality in the works of contemporary African American authors.

 

References

Morrison, Toni. “Nobel Prize Lecture.” Nobel Prize, 7 Dec. 1993,  

“NAEP Report Card: 2019 NAEP Reading Assessment." National Association of Educational Progress, 2019,

“NAEP Report Card: 2022 NAEP U.S. History Assessment." National Association of Educational Progress, 2022,

Skorton, David. “Why Scientists Should Embrace the Liberal Arts: Science Alone Isn’t Enough to Solve the World’s Problems.” Scientific American, 16 Jan. 2014.