Laurel County African American Heritage Center

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Laurel County African American Heritage Center in Kentucky

The Laurel County African American Heritage Center (LCAAHC) was founded in 2004 to preserve the history of the African-American people of Laurel County, London, Kentucky. The main hall serves as a meeting place and public archives, and provides historical exhibits that tell the history of African Americans in Laurel County, and highlights some precious photos and artifacts. [1]

Background

The Laurel County African American Heritage Center is dedicated to preserving the African American history in Laurel County, Kentucky. Founder and director Wayne Riley who grew up in Laurel County. He spent most of his adult life in Washington, D.C., before returning home in 1999.

Wayne Riley founded LCAAHC in 2004 when his church was condemned and planned to be demolished. Riley worked with community members to finally save the church and transform it into LCAAHC.

Vandalism in Laurel County African American Heritage Center

LCAAHC is now using the center to protect cultural foodways, strengthen community partnerships, solve community food insecurity issues, and support value-added food producers in the region to expand their production scale and earn considerable income.[2]

Vandalism

In 2016, someone sprayed a sign with KKK and the number 1488 on the outside of the Laurel County African American Heritage Center in London, which quoted a white supremacist slogan. Not only the sign in the center was vandalized, but another sign in the center was also painted, about a tenth of a mile down the street.[3][4]

This is the first time after ten years, LCAAHC has been hit with an act of racism.[5]


References

  1. LAUREL COUNTY AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER INC. GLUSEUM. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  2. Celebrating Our Heritage Serving Our Community. LCAAHC. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  3. Minogue, Hayley. Laurel County African American Heritage Center falls victim to hate crime. Mountain News WYMT March 30, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  4. 36Pab. Police investigate heritage center vandalism as hate crime. abc 36 News March 30, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  5. McKinney, Kelly. African American Heritage Center vandalized. The Sentinel Echo March 31, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2021.