Here’s an interesting fact that someone might want to know if they were competing in a Black History Month trivia contest:
More than 100 historically black colleges and universities exist in the United States, but which of today’s HBCUs was the first one established? The answer is Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1837 through a bequest from a Quaker philanthropist.
There are no guarantees, of course, but that question might come up when two Hopkinsville organizations host an online Black History Month trivia contest that starts at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 25.
More than 30 Black history questions could be asked during the one-hour contest, said Idalia Luna, executive director of the Human Rights Commission of Hopkinsville. The commission is sponsoring the contest with the Museums of Historic Hopkinsville-Christian County. The contest is also billed as February’s History on Tap program for the museum.
The online contest takes the place of the HRC’s annual Black History Month Trivia Bowl at Hopkinsville Community College. The organizers opted for a virtual event this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
This year is only the second time since the first trivia bowl in 1992 that it won’t be live at HCC, said Luna. The last time was in 2009, during a severe ice storm.
But the online version of a Black history contest has some advantages. Rather than limiting the contestants to youth teams, the virtual contest is wide open for anyone who wants to participate. Individuals, couples and families can play from home. And people who previously helped organize the HCC bowl, including moderators and timekeepers, can now be contestants.
“This gives us an opportunity to go from student-based to a community-based event,” Luna said.
Here’s how it works: Luna suggests using two devices — a smartphone and a tablet or laptop. Anyone who wants to play along should use one device to log onto Kahoot, a digital contest platform, shortly before 6:30 p.m. Then, on the other device, go to the museum’s Facebook page for the livestream of the hosts — Luna and Alissa Keller, executive director of the museums. They will provide a pin number that contestants can use to log onto Kahoot.
Multiple-choice questions will be asked, and the players will vie to see who can answer first.
Local, state and national topics will be included in the questions. The format rewards quick players.
“You’ve got to go fast,” Luna said.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
