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LIVE EVENT: The Reckoning: Facing the Legacy of Slavery in Kentucky - February 23rd

“The time is at hand for reckoning with the past, recognizing the truth of the present, and moving together to redeem the nation for our future.”  —Dr. Michael Eric Dyson

The Reckoning is a public radio and podcast series which traces the history and lasting impact of slavery in America by looking at how the institution unfolded in Kentucky.

Tuesday, February 23rd at 6:30 pm - it's your chance to hear from one of the producers of this powerful project, see data specific to Kentucky and it's history, and to ask your questions.

SIGN UP FOR THE FREE LINK HERE

Producer Dan Gediman has been producing award-winning programming for public radio for over 35 years, including the NPR series This I Believe, the Audible documentary series The Home Front: Life in America During World War II, and 50 Years After 14 August, which won the duPont-Columbia award, one of the highest honors in broadcasting.

He shares information from numerous writers, historians, social scientists, legal scholars, and others who can help us better understand the ways that slavery was integral to the United States and its economy, how racial violence and oppression were used to control African Americans in the decades after slavery, and how historians and educators were affected by the mythology of the Lost Cause.

Due to its proximity to the Ohio River, Kentucky was a key shipping hub for both the slave trade and the raw materials that were being produced by slave labor. And, significantly, it was the number two exporter of slaves to the Deep South cotton plantations.

As part of this story, we meet members of two families who were deeply affected by the institution of slavery. One is a prominent white family descended from both a major slave trader and one of Kentucky’s largest slave owners, the other an African American family who descend from two of the people enslaved by the white family.

At the end of Black History Month, it’s a chance to dig deeper into the painful legacy that still shapes so many interactions today and to learn more about where we go from here.

Join in the virtual talk February 23rd at 6:30 via zoom: REGISTER HERE

The Reckoning 4-part series airs on WKMS February 23rd & 24th from 11am to 1pm. 

 

Asia Burnett is WKMS Station Manager.