The Northern Kentucky History Day is on its way again – and Northern Kentucky University is a major contributor.
NKU is co-sponsoring the history event with The Historical Confederation of Kentucky and The Heritage Organizations of Northern Kentucky.
“History Day offers a number of opportunities. You can get genealogical questions answered. You can meet and talk to faculty. And there are volumes of information for potential teachers,” said Dr. Debra Meyers of the history and geography department.
Four professors from NKU – Dr. Leon Boothe, James Rhyne, Dr. Eric Jackson and Dr. Andrea Watkins – will discuss the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, black families forced out of Kentucky communities, African Americans in Northern Kentucky and Antebellum women’s rights, slavery and family.
“History Day is a good chance for students to meet staff,” said Vanessa de los Reyes, one of the two students involved in presentations at the event.
Along with the NKU professors’ lectures, the event features 17 workshops; genealogy, family life, the Civil War and African American History are among a few of the topics.
Some of the workshops have a local focus, such as “The History of the City of Florence” workshop and “Recent Indian Migration in the Greater Cincinnati Area.”
To further celebrate Northern Kentucky’s history, displays and handouts from organizations in attendance will also be available. Additionally, there will be a reenactment and a replica of the Rosa Parks Bus from the Freedom Center.
The day will begin at 8 a.m. in room 200 of the Business-Education-Psychology building with opening speaker, David Schroeder. The remainder of the aforementioned schedule of events will take place in the University Center. The cost is free to NKU students who present a student I.D. However, if you are not there is a $6 charge if you pre-register and an $8 charge if you do not.
Meyer said that the greatest thing about history day is that “it brings to the entire community a sense of shared history. It exposes diversity.”