Symposium to explore racial violence in Kentucky’s history
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 8, 2024) — On Nov. 9, community members are invited to gather at the Lyric Theater & Cultural Arts Center in Lexington for a powerful exploration of Kentucky’s history of racial violence.
The symposium, “Reckoning, Remembering, Restoring: A Symposium on the History of Racial Violence in Kentucky” aims to “confront the often-overlooked history of racial violence across the state and explore the role of digital humanities in telling this essential story.”
The symposium, which runs 9 a.m.-4 p.m., is free and open to the public, though registration is encouraged.
Co-sponsored by The Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies and the Gaines Center for the Humanities at the University of Kentucky, the event will highlight how digital tools and archival research (databases, newspapers, census records and legal documents) can reveal the realities of racial violence.
“We have learned that Kentuckians are eager to know more about our past — both the most disturbing moments of violence and also the lives, families and humanity of our ancestors,” Anastasia Curwood, Ph.D., director of CIBS, said. “This symposium is an opportunity for us to build a community and a common language for moving forward.”
The symposium is inspired by the pivotal work of George C. Wright, Ph.D., author of “Racial Violence in Kentucky, 1865-1940: Lynchings, Mob Rule, and Legal Lynchings.” In his keynote address, “Revisiting Racial Violence in Kentucky,” Wright will set the tone for a day of insightful and challenging conversations.
Attendees will also have an opportunity to meet Wright and get signed copies of his book.
Additionally, panel sessions will bring together voices from the community, local organizations and academic institutions to discuss both historical accounts and modern efforts:
- Documenting Racial Violence in Kentucky: This session will delve into the painstaking work of uncovering hidden histories.
- Civil Rights and Restorative Justice – Kentucky: A legal clinic panel, featuring Professor D’Lorah Hughes and other experts, will discuss how the past informs present-day justice efforts.
- Take Back Cheapside: This segment will focus on reclaiming historical spaces tied to racial violence and transforming them into sites of remembrance and education.
- Future of Reckoning with Racial Violence Roundtable Workshops: This roundtable will explore the roles of monuments, genealogical work and educational initiatives in building a more inclusive historical record.
“I’m thrilled to share the work of the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice-Kentucky (CRRJ-KY) project, alongside my colleagues, at this symposium,” said Austin Zinkle, postdoctoral scholar with CIBS. “The CRRJ-KY project brings together outstanding investigative work and policy analysis from history and law, but the project is also designed to connect with larger community voices — exploring paths for redress in cases of historical injustice.”
More information about “Reckoning, Remembering, Restoring: A Symposium on the History of Racial Violence in Kentucky” can be found here.
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