Legacies Unlimited Presents Soulful Sounds of Derbytown

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(Louisville, KY) Legacies Unlimited’s annual Walnut Street Revue presents the Soulful Sounds of Derbytown, a tribute to Louisville’s African American Musicians & Entertainers at 7:30 pm on January 25th at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage (KCAAH) located at 1701 W. Muhammed Ali Blvd.

The show will feature “International Queen of the Blues,” Toni Green and bluesman Big “Poppa” Stampley. Green recently received the W C Handy Lifetime Achievement Award whose previous recipients include Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland, Koko Taylor & the great Al Green.

Reserved tickets are $65 per person and $45 for general admission. Tickets are available online at redpintix.com and at Better Days Records East at 921 Barret Avenue.

Ken Clay, Founder of Legacies Unlimited, says, “As we approach Black History Month, We celebrate and recognize the contributions that African American musicians & entertainers have contributed to our lives and to the struggle for equality.  Louisville should rejoice and be proud of the entertainers who have entertained and uplifted us over the years.”

This year we are honored to present two outstanding performers, Big ‘Poppa Stampley & Southern Blues artist, Toni Green.  This is not only going to be a fantastic evening but a history lesson. I invite you to come out and have a fun time at the Walnut Street Revue.”

Tickets for The Walnut Street Revue are $65 for general admission and $45 for cabaret seating. (limited space)

Ken Clay Production presented by Legacies Unlimited Inc. is the producer of Soulful Sounds of Derbytown. This event is made possible through the support of the Owsley Brown II Foundation, Hardscuffle Inc., and WLKY-TV. 

Please announce and/or post on your community calendars.  If you have any questions or would like to setup an interview with Ken Clay and/or Toni Green, please contact VIPP Communications at info@vippcommunications.com or by calling 502-341-7306.

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A mental health expert offers some insight and how she’s helping break the stigma

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I sat down with Gail Bibb a psychotherapist a few months ago and she gave some valuable information that I wanted to share. This story was originally written during Mental Health Awareness Month.

Mental illness doesn’t choose who is affected by it, but culture, race and gender can affect access to treatment, support and quality of care. July is Minority Health Awareness Month. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five people experience a mental health condition. I sit down with a psychotherapist Gail Bibb who is working to get rid of the stigma of seeking help. 

Bibb says “Anytime that anybody has a big change in their moods, it’s an indicator that something’s wrong.”

She explains some of the warning signs when you may need a mental health checkup.  “People are excessively worrying, extreme mood changes, highs or lows, avoiding social interactions with other people having thoughts about suicide, or really difficulty connecting in social settings could be indicators that there is something wrong” according to Bibb.

There’s several ways to treat patients. Bibb explains her method.  “So, I use a holistic approach. It’s just a modality that encompasses the mental, emotional, psychological, social impacts of a person and their well-being.” Bibb talks about how major life changes or maybe something in your past unresolved resurfaces.  She says “Triggers are just unhealed wounds from your past. And so anything in the environment can trigger it a smell, somebody’s personality, something that someone can say to you can trigger an emotional response.”

Bibb explains why so many African Americans are so apprehensive about seeking help. “I think historically, there’s been a mistrust in the medical field, with getting services getting adequate care that you need. Generally, I think a lot of African Americans have used the church as their provider for mental health. Particularly growing up for me, it was always whatever happened in the house stayed in the house.”

Bibb has obtained three masters degrees not just because of the science but her personal connection.  She says “I think more so experientially, for me, I grew up and I didn’t really have a relationship with my biological parents. And one of the reasons is because my biological mother was diagnosed with bipolar and schizophrenic. And so I think that my interest was sparked because of my own traumas that I’ve grew up with.”  She also explains why many Blacks chose their faith to help them instead of medical assistance. “I think faith particularly in the African American community is so important, because it has been the outlet that we have had with no stigma. And so it’s always been something that we could go kind of cry with no shame, shout, right and really have emotional expression that wasn’t demonize in our community” says Bibb.

She tells her clients of faith that its okay to seek medical help. “Absolutely. Prayer is a weapon. But therapy is a strategy and we need both to be the very best versions of ourselves. And I think that when you really lean in on your faith, it really gives you a level of resiliency. And therapy gives you that opportunity to co regulate with someone else that could be safe, and we can heal in safe and trusted relationships.” Bibb wants to reassure people that her business and businesses like hers is a safe place for mental, physical and spiritual health. 

If you need help you can contact Gail Bibb and other psychotherapists in this community.  If you need immediate help call the suicide hotline by texting LOU to 741741. 

Bibb is the co-owner of Revive Counseling.  They offer mental health therapy, life coaching and nutrition and wellness coaching plus much more.  Go to revivecounselingwellness.com for additional information. 

To see the video of my story click the link: https://wwwhttps://www.whas11.com/video/news/community/moments-that-matter/erasing-the-stigma-of-mental-health-in-the-african-american-community/417-becfb1dc-fa8b-4395-a538-66372b5c98a5

KCAAH unveils a portrait of the man behind the name of Louisville’s only HBCU

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Unveiling of the William J. Simmons Portrait

at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage

The Kentucky Center for African American Heritage (Heritage Center), in partnership with Simmons College of Kentucky, invites the press and public to the unveiling of the William J. Simmons portrait on Monday, June 26, 2023, at 10 a.m. at 1701 West Muhammad Ali Blvd., Louisville, Kentucky. Simmons’ portrait will be a permanent installation joining other life-sized portraits in the Heritage Center’s Brown-Forman Great Hall Gallery, depicting African American leaders in the arts, civil rights, education, innovation, media, military, and sports. 

Dr. Rev. William J. Simmons (June 29, 1849 – October 30, 1890) went from enslavement to becoming Simmons College of Kentucky’s second president from 1880–1890, for whom the school was eventually named. Simmons College was the first school for higher education established for African Americans in Kentucky. The college was the vision of 12 formerly enslaved Africans who were members of the General Association of Baptists within the state. Their tenacity was fueled by their understanding of the importance of education for the sons and daughters who were formerly enslaved. 

Simmons developed multiple programs, including the teacher education program and one of the few Black medical schools at a Black college. Additionally, Simmons produced Kentucky’s first black medical doctor, Artishia Gilbert. In addition, he was a writer, journalist, and educator. In 1886 he became President of the American National Baptist Convention, one of the organizations that would merge to form the National Baptist Convention, USA. He was elected President of the Colored Press Association for his work as editor of the American Baptist, a newspaper in Louisville, Kentucky.

Simmons is best known for his 1887 work, Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive, and Rising. The book compiled brief biographies of one hundred seventy-seven prominent African American men across the United States. Men of Mark was a best seller and the most extensive collection of African American biographies.

Aukram Burton, Executive Director at the Heritage Center, says:

“The time is overdue for Dr. Rev. William J. Simmons’ portrait to be a permanent installation at the Heritage Center to ensure that visitors will learn about Simmons’ accomplishments as a transformational leader who built a rigorous and inclusive learning environment that promoted academic excellence during an era that denied African Americans the liberties they should have enjoyed as U.S. citizens.

Media inquiries: VIPP Communications at info at vippcommunications dot com or by calling KCAAH at 502-583-4100.

Reckoning Inc. will present an African American Genealogy Workshop during Black History Month to help citizens trace their family tree

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(Louisville, KY) Reckoning Inc. will present an Introduction to African American Genealogy workshop on Saturday, February 11th at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, located at 1701 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

This workshop is intended for anyone seeking to begin the process of building a family tree—no previous genealogical experience is required. Just come with any information you possess about all known elders in your family. It will be conducted by Denyce Peyton, a professional genealogist with over 25 years of experience who is currently project director for Reckoning, Inc.’s Kentucky U.S. Colored Troops Project. The workshop is free and open to the public.

For more information about the workshop, visit www.kcaah.org/events. For more information about Reckoning, Inc., visit www.reckoninginc.org

If you would like to setup an interview with African American genealogist Denyce Peyton, please contact VIPP Communications at info@vippcommunications,.com or call 502-341-7306. 

Reckoning, Inc. is 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to examine the legacy of slavery in America, and to create ways for communities to engage with this information through research projects, media productions, educational curricula, online content, and other means.

Reckoning, Inc. receives funding from the Kentucky African American Heritage Commission, Gheens Foundation, Community Foundation of Louisville, LG&E and KU Foundation, David A. Jones, Jr., and Mary Gwen Wheeler, Hardscuffle Inc., Metro United Way, National Endowment for the Humanities, American Historical Association, and the Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Foundation.

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