Festivities will open with a 6:30 p.m. reception and then a 7:30 p.m. dinner and program featuring Courier-Journal columnist Betty Baye and former National Basketball Association and UofL star Darrell Griffith. There also will be performances by UofL’s African American Theater Program and the Dave Clark Quintet. Gala attire is black-tie optional.
The $100 gala tickets benefit the Saturday Academy’s endowment fund to support its operations and establish a UofL endowed chair in black public history. Registration is encouraged by May 18; register by e-mail to Katina Whitlock at katina.whitlock@louisville.edu or Clest Lanier at cvlani01@louisville.edu
UofL’s College of Arts and Sciences organizes the Saturday Academy programs on black history, issues and culture; those free sessions for adults and high school students run weekly during the regular, public-school year at the Duvalle Education Center, 3610 Bohne Ave. The programs attract diverse audiences representing different education levels and ethnic groups throughout Metro Louisville and the region.
Saturday Academy sessions begin at 11 a.m. with a seminar on African and world history, that Blaine Hudson, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, teaches. Panel discussions on designated topics of historic or current interest follow and often feature community representatives or UofL faculty or staff members.
Besides UofL’s College of Arts and Sciences and Signature Partnership Initiative, sponsors of the community outreach program include Jefferson County Public Schools, Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, Louisville Urban League and Fifth District Metro Council Member Cheri Bryant Hamilton.