Black History Gallery to host open houses all month

Residents are ensuring Black History Month is fully recognized with several events planned throughout the month, notably the open houses that will take place every Saturday at the Black History Gallery in Elizabethtown.

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This Saturday’s open house is from 1 to 4 p.m., with presentations at 3 p.m. that include poetry and a youth portrayal of Harriet Tubman, said Brenda Tucker, a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, sponsor or the event.

The gallery’s co-founder, Charles Connor, died in May, and Tucker has taken over caring for the gallery. Connor and his wife, Emma Reno Connor, founded the local institution in 1989. This is the 20th anniversary of open house events, Tucker said.

“We just want to continue the legacy he and his wife started,” she said.

Open houses on Feb. 12, 19 and 26 are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The events are free and open to groups, Tucker said.

She hopes visitors will “carry with them what history books have excluded,” she said, and that they learn of some of the players in history and accomplishments they may not have previously known.
With Connor gone, Tucker hopes to put the gallery on a regular schedule in the spring or summer so it’s more available to those wanting to visit.

The Prophetic Word Worship Centre in Elizabethtown also is hosting several events. The Rev. Gerome Sutton, founder and chief executive of Louisville’s African-American Think Tank, and Rep. Reginald Meeks, D-Jefferson County, will speak at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday, respectively. State Sen. Gerald Neal, D-Jefferson County, will speak at 4 p.m. Feb. 13. Benjamin Richmond, president of the Louisville Urban League, will speak at 4 p.m. Feb. 20. The Rev. Akeweya N. Tirhaka of the Ancient Kemetic Institute in Louisville and former state Sen. Georgia Davis Powers will speak at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., respectively, Feb. 27.

The Hardin County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Radcliff Resident and Business Association are hosting a Black History Month celebration with the theme of “Black People that Rocked America.” The free event is at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 25 at Colvin Community Center.

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College and First Baptist Church Scholarship Committee are hosting the 25th annual Gospel Musical Extravaganza from 2 to 6 p.m. Feb 12 at Elizabethtown Christian Academy.

Kelly Cantrall can be reached at (270) 505-1747 or kcantrall@thenewsenterprise.com