Under the leadership of Dr. Kami Fletcher, associate professor of history, along with additional faculty and staff, and in partnership with the Berks History Center and the NAACP Reading Branch and its Juneteenth Committee, Albright College’s Black Cultural Collection & Resource Center, whose future home will be in the new Student Success Commons and Library, has worked to organize the following events to bring attention to the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic International Slave Trade, marked each year on March 25.
Part I of the International Day of Remembrance, March 23, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Klein Lecture Hall (CFA 235), features panel presentations on the “Importance of Understanding the Legacy of Slavery in Berks County,” delivered by Albright College students, faculty and staff along with key members of the Berks County community. Speakers include Dr. Kami Fletcher, associate professor of history, Dr. Brenda Ingram-Wallace, associate vice-president for advocacy and full participation, Jamilah Hyman, junior communications major and African American history minor, Abigail Platero, curatorial assistant at the Freedman Gallery, Stacey Taylor, president, NAACP #2289, Berks County, among others. Presentations will include research on the history and impact of slavery in Berks County, including how it shaped the topography of the area, as well as broader study on how national artists like Lili Bernhard explore the relevance of black representation in contemporary art. Come early for a presentation at 4 p.m. by alumna Autumn Spears and see her work in the Freedman Gallery (see details below).
Part II of the International Day of Remembrance includes a film screening of “Los Negros” (2020, 1:17 mins.) written and directed by Antonio Palacios and talkback hosted by Lennie Amores, associate professor of Spanish. Additional faculty and community members will also make brief remarks about the importance of understanding the impact of slavery on Berks County, including Stacey Taylor, president of the NAACP, Berks County, Dr. Brenda Ingram-Wallace, associate vice-president for inclusion and full participation, and associate professor of history, Dr. Kami Flectcher. Refreshments will be provided.
Both events count as EXPERIENCE EVENTS for student academic credit.
Funding for these events was provided by Albright College’s Office of Advocacy & Full Participation, the Center for the Arts, and the department of World Languages & Cultures. The BCCRC is grateful for this support.
For a list of upcoming NAACP Reading Branch events, including events from the Juneteenth Committee, visit their Facebook page by hitting the button below.
