FRANKFORT — The Kentucky Black Legislative Caucus will hold the third of four Black History Celebration events at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, in the Carl M. Hill Student Center Ballroom at Kentucky State University.
This segment of the Black History Speaker Series will feature two panels of students from Kentucky universities discussing college and career goals, campus experiences, and perspectives on the evolving journey of African Americans in education and beyond.
The first panel will include students from multiple universities across the state, while the second panel will focus on experiences at KSU, Kentucky’s only public Historically Black College or University.
“The goal of this segment is to examine the impact of education policies and opportunities on emerging Black leaders in Kentucky,” said Senate Democratic Floor Leader Gerald A. Neal, a member of the KBLC and lead organizer of the event. “We want to highlight student voices and facilitate a robust discussion around the Black experience on and off campus, particularly at the intersection of academics, culture, and social dynamics.”
The program is open to both the public and the media, and all attendees are asked to use KSU’s main campus entrance at 400 E. Main St. in Frankfort.
Featured in the first panel discussion will be Anushka Karki, Northern Kentucky University; Patricia Juarbe Rivera, University of Kentucky Martin School of Public Policy and Administration; Daniel Nyambati, University of Louisville; T’Naya Gee, Kentucky State University; and Zakeyia Satterwhite, Kentucky State University.
The second panel discussion will include remarks from four Kentucky State University students, including Tahja Toney, Taliyah Walker, Shioneka Farr, and Jailen Jones.
Dr. Aaron Thompson, President of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, will moderate the panels. Thompson is a first-generation high school and college student who worked his way through both, experiencing firsthand the transformative power of a college credential.
As president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education – the state’s head of higher education – he works to ensure that all Kentuckians have an equal opportunity to improve their lives through postsecondary education.
The Black History Speaker Series will continue with the final, closing event scheduled for Feb. 26 at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in Frankfort. It will feature a history panel discussion, including remarks from Vincent Evans, Executive Director for the Congressional Black Caucus.