Black History Archives

They were Navy men for the United States

by Jennifer P. Brown
February 12, 2023

The U.S. Navy enlisted at least 10 Black men from Christian County during the Civil War. They ranged in age from 14 to 40.

After enslavement: Christian County stories of survival

by Alissa Keller
February 5, 2023

Twenty-five formerly enslaved residents of the county were featured in newspaper profiles published in 1934. Museum director Alissa Keller looks at their biographies through a new lens.

Hopkinsville MLK observance focuses on youth

by Jennifer P. Brown
January 16, 2023

A record number of students joined the march and then participated in a program at the community college.

bell hooks’ message endures, challenges our understanding of love

by Jennifer P. Brown
January 9, 2023

Twenty-three years after the book was published, bell hooks' "All About Love" has remained on the New York Times Best Sellers list for 56 weeks.

Wendell Lynch takes stock of city’s shift in supporting a Black mayor

by Jennifer P. Brown
December 11, 2022

Lynch's term in office came 50 years after another Black leader couldn't garner enough support to advance from city council to the mayor's office.

Legacy of A.H. McNeil in Hopkinsville seen as a path to racial reconciliation

by Jennifer P. Brown
October 17, 2022

The clergyman, whose example inspired the establishment of a crisis relief agency, endured many hardships as he worked to become a priest while leading a new church.

Church service to honor legacy of the Rev. A.H. McNeil in Hopkinsville

by Jennifer P. Brown
October 11, 2022

The Commission on Racial Healing for the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky is sponsoring the service Saturday, Oct. 15, at Grace Episcopal Church.

Hopkinsville Community College unveils statue honoring bell hooks

by Jennifer P. Brown
September 26, 2022

The unveiling occurred on the 70th anniversary of her birth in Hopkinsville as Gloria Jean Watkins.

A sense of belonging in bell hooks’ hometown

by Jennifer P. Brown
September 25, 2022

"Memories offer us a world where there is no death, where we are sustained by rituals of regard and recollection," bell hooks wrote in "Belonging: A Culture of Place"

High school consolidation in 1959 marked a major change for Christian County students

by Alissa Keller
September 19, 2022

On Sept. 9, 1959, students from five rural high schools — Pembroke, Crofton, Lacy, Sinking Fork and South Christian — transferred into the new Christian County High School.

bell hooks mural dedicated in downtown Hopkinsville

by Jennifer P. Brown
August 27, 2022

The painting by Hopkinsville artist Paula Gieseke honors the legacy of Gloria Jean Watkins, the feminist author known by her pen name bell hooks.

Easter egg hunt captures spirit of the season — but only for some

by Alissa Keller
April 18, 2022

A photograph that ran on the front page of the Kentucky New Era on April 6, 1953, illuminates a joyful moment in Hopkinsville's history — but not a inclusive one.