Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies

09/23/2026

Join us at the Lexington History Museum on Thursday, October 1st to honor the life and legacy of RCO Benjamin.

Join us October 1 to honor the life and legacy of Robert Charles O’Hara Benjamin, a lawyer, journalist and advocate for voting rights.

BGCF, the Lexington Black Prosperity Initiative, the Lexington History Museum and the Lexington Justice and Legacy Alliance invite you to a free evening of remembrance and learning.

We’ll dedicate soil collected at the Equal Justice Initiative marker installation ceremony honoring Benjamin back on June 20. Then, experience a staged reading of “Benjamin’s Victory,” an original audio drama by Michele Tyrene Johnson. A light reception sponsored by the Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies will follow.

Thursday, October 1
Doors open at 6 p.m. | Program begins at 6:30 p.m.
Lexington History Museum
210 N. Broadway, Lexington

Reserve your free tickets: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/lexingtonhistorymuseum/event/rcob/

09/08/2026

Congratulations, Dr. Nikki Brown!

Campus News TEK announces 2026-27 Faculty Fellows cohort By Jennifer Osterhage Sept. 4, 2026 Carter Sloss | UK Creative Services LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 4, 2026) — The University of Kentucky Office of Transdisciplinary Educational approaches to advance Kentucky (TEK) has announced the TEK Facult...

09/08/2026

Today!

09/03/2026

Come see CIBS this Tuesday, 9/8!

08/24/2026

Congratulations Dr. Curwood on winning the Dr. Anne M. Butler Historian Award!

Join Phoenix Rising Lex as we celebrate the legacy of African American women in the horse industry—honoring the trailblazers whose courage and achievements helped shape racing history. 🐎✨

📅 Saturday, August 22, 2026
⏰ 12:30–2:30 p.m.
📍 Lyric Theatre, 300 East Third Street, Lexington, KY
🎟️ $20 per person | Table of 8: $150

Reserve your spot at www.phoenixrisinglex.org or RSVP to [email protected].

08/22/2026

In the ‘25-’26 academic year, CIBS supported its second Student Intern for the CIBS/Lexington Public Library Kentucky Room Internship.

Achan is an Accounting major going into her Senior year. During her time in the Kentucky Room, she worked “on a project involving historical newspapers from the 1930 Lexington Leader that focused on news within Black communities.” In addition to researching the articles on microfilm, Achan “used Photoshop to improve the quality and readability of the images” and “transcribed the articles to make the text more legible and accessible for future research and preservation purposes.”

Learn more about Achan and her experience here: https://cibs.as.uky.edu/student-profiles

2nd photo: image of Lexington Leader article by Achan Mangi

08/21/2026

As we move into the Fall 2026 semester, CIBS is looking back fondly at Spring 2026 and all our faculty and student affiliate successes!

In May, PhD student Jessica Nwafor was one of 12 students chosen by the Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and Environment as part of the inaugural cohort of Tracy Farmer Scholars.

According to Jessica, “This program supports my research on how residents in Florida’s Space Coast understand and prioritize risks where spaceflight, conservation and coastal hazards intersect. It will fund my initial fieldwork, allowing me to collect data directly from communities and inform local decisions on disaster preparedness, land use and environmental risk management.”

Check out the article to learn more about the Tracy Farmer Institute and the other student researchers: https://uknow.uky.edu/research/12-students-selected-1st-cohort-tracy-farmer-scholars

Congratulations, Jessica!

08/14/2026

CIBS is so proud to support local Black history and those who preserve and tell it!
https://cibs.as.uky.edu/digital-access-project

08/13/2026

As the CIBS/Lexington Public Library Kentucky Room Intern, Lilly created a wonderful exhibit in the Kentucky Room on Dr. Mary E. Britton, KY's first licensed Black woman doctor!

Learn more about the student research opportunities CIBS supports here: https://cibs.as.uky.edu/student-profiles

08/12/2026

Did you know Kentucky has its own long-standing Emancipation Day tradition?

For generations, African American families in Paducah have gathered each August 8 to celebrate freedom, honor their ancestors, and pass those stories to the next generation. Beginning in the years immediately following the Civil War, these celebrations featured parades, community meals, speeches, music, and readings of the Emancipation Proclamation. Over time, the Eighth of August became one of western Kentucky's most enduring community traditions.

Want to learn the full story behind Kentucky's August 8 tradition? Download the free Explore Kentucky History app and search "8th of August" to discover the story behind Historical Marker #1957 and explore thousands of other stories from across the Commonwealth.

Learn more and download the app here:
Explore Kentucky History App



Historic image of an Emancipation Parade in Jenkins (Letcher Co.), courtesy of the University of Kentucky.