Tag Archives: Aukram Burton
The VIPP Report: The first African American secretary for the Smithsonian visits KCAAH in Louisville
Posted on October 27, 2019 by The VIPP Report
By Sherlene M. Shanklin
On September 25th at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage they hosted An Extraordinary Evening with Dr. Lonnie Bunch.
Dr. Bunch is the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute. That consists of 19 museums, nine research centers and the National Zoo. He was previously the founding director of the National Museum of African American History.
The Heritage Center is located a 1701 W. Muhammad Ali Boulevard in Louisville, Ky.
See link for my WHAS11.com photo gallery Dr. Lonnie Bunch in Louisville, Ky
The VIPP Report: KCAAH's Grand Re-Introduction Event Featuring Dr. Lonnie Bunch
Posted on September 13, 2019 by The VIPP Report
An Extraordinary Evening
KCAAH's Grand Re-Introduction Event Featuring Dr. Lonnie Bunch
Kentucky Center for African American Heritage
1701 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY
LOUISVILLE, Ky. September 25 –The Kentucky Center for African American Heritage (Heritage Center) is embracing the change of season with a rebirth on Wednesday, September 25th from 5 – 8:30 pm. The evening will launch the Inaugural Quarterly Membership Event with "An Extraordinary Evening" honoring esteemed guest Dr. Lonnie Bunch, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and Founding Director, National Museum of African American History. In June 2019, Dr. Bunch assumed the helm as the 14th Secretary – and first African American – of the 19 museums of the Smithsonian Institution; its nine research centers, and the National Zoo.
The evening will begin with Louisville's first bourbon tasting west of 9th Street, featuring 12 top tier, exclusive brands. Katie Farley, Woodford Reserve's Master Taster will be sharing her craft in this "Bourbon Alley". Sample Uncle Nearest, the small batch whiskey distilled to honor the first African American master distiller on record in the U.S, and Brough Brothers spirits crafted by our neighbors in the West End. These and other featured brands pay homage to the center's drive for inclusivity.
Dr. Neeli Bendapudi will emcee our program of comments from Dr. Bunch and Aukram Burton, Heritage Center Executive Director, special presentations by elected officials, and a tour of Heritage Center new exhibits, cocktails, southern savory food pairings, and networking opportunities will all follow.
Doors will open at 5pm on September 25th at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage. Obtain entry with the purchase of a "Circle of Friends" membership to the Heritage Center for $125 per person. In addition to admission to the Extraordinary Evening, membership benefits include admittance to three additional quarterly Heritage Center events; JB&B Holiday Celebration – Dec 2019; Miss Ida B. Wells – March 2020; Juneteenth Film Festival – June 2020.
Purchase online via Eventbrite link. Or call Kelly Dettor at 502 – 894 – 9768.
About Kentucky Center for African American Heritage
KCAAH is situated in the heart of the historic Russell Neighborhood, located in Louisville's West End Corridor, an area undergoing revitalization and slated to become an arts and cultural district.
Located at 18th and Muhammad Ali Boulevard, the Heritage center occupies a 55,000 sq. foot campus and overlooks the area that once was Old Walnut Street. This area holds special significance for Kentuckiana's African American community.
The Heritage Center is the result of a collection of African American educators, artists, and historians who have collaborated to give the long-dormant history of African American's in their region the voice and platform it deserves. This group evolved from the Louisville and Jefferson County African American Heritage Committee into its current mold, with a single unifying goal of promoting the Kentuckiana region's black heritage.
The Center is a vital contemporary institution, providing space for performances of all types giving the rich heritage of African Americans the platform they deserve. The Center's long-term goals include various spaces for career specific learning for students such as music, recording, trade industries and theater.
1701 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd., Louisville, KY 40203
www.kcaah.org
Sponsors for the Grand Re-Introduction event include:
Presenting Sponsor, Brown-Forman;
Platinum Sponsors, Humana; University of Louisville, Office of Research and Innovation
Reception Sponsor, Strothman and Company
Supporting Table Sponsors: AARP KY, ACTORS Theatre, HJI Supply Chain Solutions, Louisville Healthcare CEO Council, Louisville Tourism, Republic Bank, Signature HealthCARE, TOPS Magazine, York Management, Inc.
The VIPP Report: Griot Author Series welcomes "The Wire's" Kia Corthorn
Posted on August 16, 2016 by The VIPP Report
(Louisville, KY) On Sunday, August 28th at 3:00 p.m. the Griot Author Series at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, (KCAAH) in collaboration with the Black Media Collaborative presents Kia Corthorn. The author and playwright will read from The Castle Cross the Magnet Carter and will be in conversation with Nefertiti Burton, professor and chair of the Department of Theatre, University of Louisville.
The event is free to the community followed by a book signing. The publication is getting rave reviews. Civil rights activist Angela Davis says Corthorn's novel is a riveting saga of two twentieth-century American families trapped inside the quotidian contradictions and compulsions of race, disability, and sexuality. Davis goes on to say "The untidiness of history is conveyed through experiences, dreams, and inevitable eruptions of violence, yet also unexpected patterns of escape and possible orbits of justice."
Aukram Burton, Executive Director for KCAAH says "We are honored to have Kia Corthorn discussing her latest project but giving insight to future writers how she was able to garner experience and work on successful projects like HBO's The Wire. We are excited to have her speak at the center. This is just the beginning. We are working hard to secure more authors in the future."
For additional information about the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage by calling 502-583-4100.
To setup an interview with Kia Corthorn and/or a member of the KCAAH executive staff, please contact Sherlene Shanklin, VIPP Communications at info at vippcommuncations dot com.
About KCAAH
The Kentucky Center for African American Heritage is the result of a collection of African American educators, artists and historians who have collaborated to give the long dormant history of African Americans in the region the voice and platform it deserves. This group evolved from the Louisville and Jefferson County African American Heritage Committee into its current mold, with a single unifying goal of promoting the Kentuckiana region's black heritage.
If you have a story idea send it to TheVIPPReport@vippcommunications.com You can follow us on Twitter @thevippreport@vippcomm.
VIPP Communications is your one-stop public relations, marketing, branding, event management, consulting and video production firm headquartered in Louisville, KY. For inquiries info at vippcommunications dot com.
The VIPP Report: It's "The Meeting" between Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X
Posted on February 3, 2016 by The VIPP Report
As we celebrate the accomplishments of African Americans during Black History Month, the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage will stage a play about a meeting of the minds between two of the most prominent names in the Civil Rights Movement. They had two totally different approaches but their ultimate goal for racial equality was the same.
On Sunday, February 28th at 3:00 p.m. the Griot Players Series at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, (KCAAH) presents "The Meeting". The play is by Jeff Stetson and directed by Baron Kelly. Admission is only $5 per person.
If Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X had met for an hour or so, what would they have found to say to each other? Jeff Stetson undertook to answer that question in this one-act play. The play sets the clock back to the year 1965, when a fictionalized meeting between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and Malcolm X took place at the Hotel Theresa in Harlem, New York. One who believed in non-violence while the other believed in self-defense, the scenes in the play reveal the shared pain behind their very different philosophies to address racial inequality are very compelling.
Aukram Burton, Executive Director for KCAAH says "The playwright provides a fascinating premise in the "The Meeting." The play imagines Martin Luther King visiting Malcolm X at the latter's invitation in his Harlem hotel room in 1965, just days before Malcolm X's murder and three years before an assassin's bullet would kill Dr. King's life. "The Meeting" is an important play that will provide an engrossing story about two great Black freedom fighters that remains relevant to audiences today. I encourage families and youth groups to see a piece of history".
This program will be produced by the Kentucky Center African American Heritage in collaboration with the African American Theatre Program at the University of Louisville.
For additional information on "The Meeting" contact 502-583-4100.
To have a cast member on your program and/or a member of the KCAAH executive staff, please contact VIPP Communications.