Campus News

Kentucky LGBTQ* Black History Exhibit Now Online

photo of "Black History Month 2018" flyer
"The Black History Month 2018" virtual exhibition can now be found online on UKnowlege.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 12, 2018) The virtual exhibit “Black History Month 2018” is now available for viewing online through University of Kentucky Libraries' digital platform UKnowledge. The 32 images showcased in the exhibit, highlighting the lives and work of LGBTQ* members in Kentucky’s African-American communities, was originally posted online as a Facebook exhibit in February.

The daily posts created for “Black History Month 2018” feature accomplishments of present and past persons associated with African-American LGBTQ* communities around the Commonwealth. The exhibit was sponsored by the community organizations Bluegrass Black Pride Inc., led by Reinette Jones, a special collections librarian and African-American studies academic liaison at UK, and Kentucky Black Pride Inc., led by Shawn Ka’Ron Bumpase. Jones curated the exhibition. 

With assistance from Adrian Ho, director of digital scholarship at UK Libraries, and digital humanities librarian Jennifer Hootman, the virtual exhibit now includes photo images, biographical and historical information, alongside the artistry of each feature. To view “Black History Month 2018,” visit: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/black_history_month_2018/index.3.html.

The 2018 exhibit is one of four Black History Month virtual exhibits that can be found on UKnowledge. Earlier exhibits feature images from photograph collections in the UK Special Collections Research Center. The 2018 exhibit builds on the past with images obtained from the collaboration and the participation of the public.

Found in 2013, Bluegrass Black Pride Inc. is a community organization established to educate, advocate and demand equity for those in African-American LGBTQ* communities. The organization provides grant-funded health and wellness programs and domestic violence prevention, as well as programs addressing discrimination and prejudice within the LGBTQ* community, the church and the public at large. To connect with Bluegrass Black Pride Inc., visit the organization’s Facebook page or email bluegrassblackpride.inc@gmail.com.

Kentucky Black Pride Inc.’s mission is to promote unity, pride, self-awareness and a positive visibility within Kentucky's LGBTQIA community of color. The organization, founded by Bumpase in 2016, is a nonprofit organization that helps the community by providing financial assistance, mental counseling, and LGBTQ marital counseling or wedding officiants. For more information on Kentucky Black Pride Inc., contact kentuckyblackpride@yahoo.com or visit the organization’s website.

UKnowledge aims to serve as the online platform to extend the reach and maximize the impact of the research and scholarship from the UK community. If you would like to find out more about UKnowledge, contact UK Libraries at UKnowledge@lsv.uky.edu