UNVEILING THE STORY: FROM SEGREGATION TO CELEBRATION

Join us Friday June 30 at 6pm for the unveiling and dedication of The Story: From Segregation to Celebration with a special presentation by Reinette F. Jones, author of Library Service to African Americans in Kentucky, from the Reconstruction Era to the 1960s.

In alignment with the Kentucky Black Writers Collaborative’s mission of amplifying Black voices and stories, the Carnegie Center has commissioned an original work of art by award-winning artist LaVon Van Williams Jr. The Story: From Segregation to Celebration is a wood and oil paint relief located at what was once the entrance of the colored reading room, when the newly built Carnegie building was the Lexington Public Library in 1905. Mr. William’s work of art honors the struggle Black Kentuckians faced during segregation and celebrates the triumph of acclaimed Kentucky Black writers now writing the books found in libraries.

Thank you to our generous sponsors: LexArts, Kentucky Arts Council, Lexington Black Prosperity Initiative, Chethik Family Fund to Advance Black Writers, Walton Family Foundation, and Blue Grass Community Foundation.