NEWS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS)
Date: February 4, 2009
Mark Brooks, 270-901-1117, mark.brooks@kctcs.edu
BGTC Celebrates Black History Month with Two Presentations
BGTC Celebrates Black History Month with Two Presentations
February is Black History month and Bowling Green Technical College is sponsoring two events during the month. Black history and culture is such a part of the American fabric -- and the school curriculum -- that it's difficult to imagine a time when that wasn't so. Established as Negro History Week in the 1920's by Carter G. Woodson, February was chosen for the celebration because Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln were born in this month. Extended to a month-long celebration in 1976, Black History Month is an opportunity to emphasize the history and achievements of African Americans.
On Thursday, February 12th, Dr. John Hardin, Associate Professor of History at WKU, will talk about the "Kentucky African-American Encyclopedia Project." The Kentucky African American Encyclopedia will provide a comprehensive volume of research on the black experience in the Commonwealth. It will include entries on the individuals, events, places, organizations, movements, and institutions which have shaped the state's history since its origins. It will also include topical essays on slavery, education, women, religion, sports, business, and civil rights. The presentation will be held from 11:00 AM until 12:00Pm in the Building F conference room on the main campus of Bowling Green Technical College.
On Wednesday, February 18th Erma Bush of the Kentucky Chautauqua Presentation will present a rendition of Margaret Garner: "Death Before Slavery." Margaret Garner was a Kentucky slave who ran away and got caught - a common story. Her plight drew national attention because she killed one of her own children rather than see the child returned to slavery. Ms. Bush's stirring portrayal of this woman and the story of this tragic event paints a vivid picture of the tragedy of slavery in Kentucky. The presentation will be held from 12:30 p.m. -1:30 p.m. in the conference room of Building F on the Colleges main campus. This program is funded in part by the Kentucky Humanities Council, Inc., and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Both events are free and open to the public.
For more information about these events, contact Cindy Gaffney at 901-1095.
Erma Bush of the Kentucky Chautauqua Presentation portrays Margaret Garner in "Death Before Slavery," a presentation to be held February 18, 2009 at Bowling Green Technical College
For most Kentuckians, higher education begins at KCTCS. Our statewide system of 16 colleges and 65 campuses provides citizens throughout the Commonwealth with a quality education that is both accessible and affordable.