KenLake State Park, Ky.–The February meeting of the Jackson Purchase Historical Society (JPHS) focus on Cherokee Park and its role in African-American life in west Kentucky and beyond. The meeting will be held in the Garen Room in The Lodge at KenLake State Park on Saturday, February 22 beginning at 10:30. JPHS welcomes the Paducah Historic Preservation Group as co-sponsor.
The program will begin with a showing of the documentary “A Legacy Lost & Found: Segregation in Recreation” directed by Dr. Tammy Holmes. The documentary will be introduced by Dr. Nancy Dawson and Dr. Tanya Price, members of the Friends of Cherokee Park, who played an important role in both the documentary and preserving the park and its legacy. Following the documentary a panel of area residents will share their memories of the park. After their remarks the audience will continue the discussion.
Cherokee State Park opened in 1951 as the only state park for African Americans in Kentucky during a time when public accommodations were segregated, and Kentucky was expanding its state park system. It became a popular Green Book site during the “separate but equal” era. The park closed in 1964 when segregation was outlawed. The historic importance of Cherokee State Park was recognized with a listing on the National Register of Historic Places on January 1, 2009. Through the efforts of many who remembered the park it has received long overdue attention.
Nancy Dawson has worked in higher education for more than 20 years as a professor and director of African American studies. Her career includes full-time positions at Southern Illinois University and Austin Peay State University. As a community activist, entrepreneur, and professional organizer, she directs a large team of volunteers and coordinates community partnerships to maintain the day-to-day operations of an urban farm entitled Russellville Urban Gardening Project. She is a published writer and a consultant for National Park Service. She is also a professional textile quilt artist; having exhibited across the United States.
Tanya Price is a cultural anthropologist with publications on the political process, race, music, and culture. She has served as Assistant Professor at North Carolina A&T State University, and other universities for more than twenty years. Dr. Price also studied traditional West African percussion (djembe drum) with Mamady Kieta, the recently deceased internationally acclaimed Djembe Grandmaster. Currently, she teaches K-12 in the Cincinnati area, performs in musical programs, and teaches percussion classes for children and adults.
The Paducah Historic Preservation Group was formed in 2022 to preserve and make accessible the African American history of the Jackson Purchase Region. They sponsor programs throughout the year and were instrumental in keeping a significant number of Helen La France paintings in the region. Their 3rd Annual African American Artists Showcase opens February 10 at the Paducah City Hall with the closing reception there on February 21 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm.
In 1958, a group of historians met in Murray, Kentucky led by faculty from Murray State University and University of Tennessee-Martin and formed the Jackson Purchase Historical Society to promote interest, study, and preservation of the regional history of the territory encompassed in the Treaty of Tuscaloosa, known as the Jackson Purchase. The society now holds eleven meetings each year with a speaker on Jackson Purchase history and publishes an award-winning Journal on local history. Members include a wide range of people who simply share a love of history and a love of the Jackson Purchase area.
The society recently refurbished its website and an array of information about the society and Jackson Purchase history is available at: jacksonpurchasehistoricalsociety.org.