UK Happenings

‘Yes, You Can Come Home Again’: Emily Hudson to Deliver Appalachian Forum Series Lecture

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 25, 2021) — The University of Kentucky will welcome Emily Hudson, community activist and founder of the Southeast Kentucky African American Museum and Cultural Center, to campus next week as part of the Appalachian Forum series.

The lecture, titled “Yes, You Can Come Home Again,” will take place 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 1, in the William T. Young Library UK Athletics Auditorium, and on Zoom. The presentation is sponsored by the UK Appalachian Center and Appalachian Studies Program, African American and Africana Studies (AAAS), and the Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies (CIBS) at UK.

Hudson will share excerpts from her book, “Soul Miner,” and discuss her journey in search of her identity as an Appalachian and an African American. She will discuss the genesis of the Southeast Kentucky African American Museum and Cultural Center and how it is on a mission to provide a platform for "history to speak." 

“Black Appalachian life and history are essential to our understanding of the region. We are delighted to host such a distinguished expert and community treasure," said Anastasia Curwood, director of the African American and Africana Studies program and the Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies at UK.

“We are thrilled to partner with CIBS/AAAS to bring Emily Hudson to campus," said Kathryn Engle, director of the Appalachian Center. "We look forward to learning from her activism and work in documenting and celebrating Black experiences in the mountains.”

The in-person event and the virtual talk are open to the UK community and the public. Register for the webinar at https://uky.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yfwRd000RlmGgvY50fAmAw.

More information is available at https://appalachiancenter.as.uky.edu/emily-hudson.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.