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Quilts of the Green Book Starts Thursday at WKCTC

Quilts of the Green Book Starts Thursday at WKCTC
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By West Kentucky Star Staff
Apr. 18, 2019 | PADUCAH
By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 18, 2019 | 06:22 PM | PADUCAH
Stories have been passed down for decades about the Negro Motorist Green Book, and the recent Oscar award-winning movie, "Green Book," was inspired by it. Now the history behind the book is also being shared through quilts. The community is invited to West Kentucky Community and Technical College for a free exhibition opening of "Quilts of the Green Book" in its Clemens Fine Arts Center Gallery April 25 at 6 pm.

The Green Book quilts, made famous by African-American quilters, tell stories in the form of fiber art of the Negro Motorist Green Book, an annual listing of lodging, diners, gas stations and other businesses that met the needs of African-American roadtrippers from 1936 to 1966, during the era of Jim Crow segregation laws. Created in 1936 by Harlem-based postman Victor H. Green, the Green Book, which is the inspiration for the exhibition, served the public until after the passage of the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s that ended legal segregation.

"The Green Book was a directory of safe places where African Americans were welcomed to stay as they traveled from place to place across the country," said Chevene Duncan-Herring, WKCTC's Diversity and Inclusion director. "One of those safe places was Paducah's Hotel Metropolitan that hosted many African-American travelers including famous musicians such as Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, B.B. King, Ike and Tina Turner and others," she said. "We are thrilled to partner with the Hotel Metropolitan to host the 'Quilts of the Green Book' exhibition during Paducah's 2019 Spring Quilt Week."

African-American history researcher and quilter, Dr. Nancy Dawson, will be the evening's guest speaker. Her comments will begin at 6 pm in the Clemens Gallery with refreshments to follow in the college's Student Center, located just outside the gallery.

The "Quilts of the Green Book" exhibition will be on display in the Clemens Gallery until April 30, 2019. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 8 am - 4 pm.

For more information, contact Chevene Duncan-Herring at chevene.duncan-herring@kctcs.edu.

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