This event will explore how digital humanities—through databases, newspapers, census data, legal cases, and archives—can shine a light on the widespread racial violence that contradicts the myth of Kentucky as a racially progressive state.
Inspired by Dr. George C. Wright’s pivotal work, Racial Violence in Kentucky, 1865 – 1940: Lynchings, Mob Rule and “Legal Lynchings,” this symposium is a public, community-focused discussion on the extralegal and legislative efforts that violently enforced Jim Crow laws in Kentucky, often without holding the perpetrators accountable.
A diverse group of community members, local organizations, library professionals, and university academics will share ideas and research on past civil and human rights violations against African American Kentuckians. We will also explore attempts at restorative justice and how new technologies can help reimagine a more historically accurate and nuanced history of race in Kentucky.
9 am – Doors open. Catered breakfast provided
9:30 – 10:30 am: Keynote – Dr. George C. Wright, University of Kentucky
“Revisiting Racial Violence in Kentucky”
10:45 – 11:45 am: Documenting Racial Violence in Kentucky
11:45 – 12:30 pm: Catered lunch provided. Performance
12:30 – 1:30 pm: Civil Rights and Restorative Justice – Kentucky
1:30 – 2:30 pm: Take Back Cheapside
2:30 – 3:30 pm: The Future of Reckoning with Racial Violence Roundtable Workshops
with Dr. John Giggie, History Department, University of Alabama; Sharyn Mitchell, African American Genealogy Group of Kentucky; Monument Workshop at UK; Documenting Racial Violence in Kentucky; Civil Rights and Restorative Justice-Kentucky, Take Back Cheapside
3:30 – 4:00 pm: Closing/Next Steps
After nearly 50 years of dormancy since its closing in 1963, The Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center is dedicated to honoring its past while maintaining a strong vision for the further development of the greater Lexington & Bluegrass community. ‘The mission of the Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center is to preserve, promote, present, and celebrate diverse cultures through artistic presentations of the highest quality, educational programming and outreach, film, and opportunities for community inclusion.
Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center
300 East Third Street
Lexington, KY 40508
(859) 280-2201
info@historiclyric.com
Administrative Hours:
Monday–Friday, 10:00 am–6:00 pm
Museum & Gallery Hours:
Tuesday–Friday, 11:00 am–6:00 pm
Box Office Hours:
Monday–Friday, 1:00 pm–5:00 pm
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