Public Events --

Memory and Heart: Pasts and Presents of African-American Communities

Memory and Heart: Pasts and Presents of African-American Communities

• Location: ISM Research & Collections Center, Springfield
• Date: Wednesday, July 06, 2011, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Marvin J. and Thomas Leo Likes Memorial Lecture Series for 2011

In conjunction with the 2011 New Philadelphia Archaeological Project, these presentations focus on the histories, heritage, and planned commemorations of several African-American communities that thrived during the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Our discussions will address the challenges of understanding the complex pasts of these communities as well as competing approaches to presenting their historical and humanities lessons to broad public audiences in the present. This speaker series is sponsored by the New Philadelphia Association, with the cooperation of Spragues' Kinderhook Lodge and the Illinois State Museum. We greatly appreciate the generous support of the Illinois Humanities Council, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Illinois General Assembly.

Dr. Vibert White, University of Florida, will present Mother Laura Adorkar Kofi: The Female Marcus Garvey

This presentation will discuss the career of Laura Adorkar Kofi, a native of Ghana, West Africa, who arrived in the United States in the early 1920s. Sent by her father, a prominent King of the Gold Coast, to reeducate and reintroduce African Americans to the cultural and political ways of their African relatives, she immediately joined the Universal Negro Improvement Association after her arrival. Marcus Garvey, head of the UNIA, was impressed by this West African and quickly introduced her to his followers and ultimately made her a part of his inner circle. At the age of 35, Mother Kofi created the largest and most successful Black Nationalist movement that was led by a Black woman. She created Black utopian communities throughout the south, the largest being Adorkaville, located in Jacksonville, Florida. Today, the site is filled with remnants of a revisionist story on race relations and American history. Like New Philadelphia, it ushers in new reviews and discussions on gender, race relations, religion, and class in the United States.

Lecture will be held at the Illinois State Museum Research and Collections Center, 1011 East Ash Street in Springfield. Access to the Research and Collections Center is from 10 1/2 Street (between Ash and Laurel Streets.) For more information, please call 217-785-0037.