Justice Clarence Thomas to speak at University of Kentucky

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas will deliver the 13th Roy R. and Virginia F. Ray Lecture on April 5 at 6 p.m. the University of Kentucky's Memorial Hall. UK College of Law Dean David A. Brennen will moderate a conversation among Thomas, American Bar Association President William T. Robinson III and UK Law Professor Stephen Clowney. Robinson and Clowney will explore various aspects of Thomas' life experiences, influences on his decision-making process as a member of the Supreme Court, and how the Court has evolved during his service over the past two decades. The conversation will draw upon Thomas' 2007 autobiography "My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir." A limited number of seats are available to the public, and pre-registration is required. Video and audio recording will not be permitted inside the auditorium. To register, please visit http://lars.law.uky.edu/registration. Source: Kentucky.com

Shana McCombs, Miss Kentucky State presents ...

"I Said Let Go!" a play the sequel to "Let Go Let God" Greetings, I am Shana McCombs Miss Kentucky State University 2011-2012. I am a native of Hopkinsville, KY. This May, I will be graduating from Kentucky State University, and I will begin my new journey in life. I have a dream to bring positive black entertainment to Kentucky. God has blessed me with many gifts and one gift that I want to act on is playwriting. I want to tour plays, Christian comedy shows, and poetry slams throughout the state of Kentucky. I have been discouraged not to focus my career on African Americans. Why? Because it has been said that African Americans do not support, but I say to that statement “call those things which be not, as though they were”, and “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me”. The scripture, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” is one of my main reasons I want to bring positive black entertainment to Kentucky. There are so many children who are raised up knowing about Jesus Christ, but what about those who aren’t? I want to reach those children through my plays. ... When:March 30-31 Where:Kentucky State University in Bradford Hall Auditorium Cost:$5 Time: Play will start at 7:30 PM and doors will open at 6:45 PM.

Reading by Nikky Finney

In celebration of National Poetry Month this April, the UK Libraries is sponsoring a poetry reading by Nikky Finney. The reading will take place in the Special Collections Library, in the Great Hall of the King Building, with a reception to follow. April 26, 2012, 4-6 pm. Free and open to the public. Please RSVP to kate.hesseldenz@uky.edu.

Free Computer and Training

In partnership with the William Wells Brown Community Center, the Kentucky Housing Corporation, Lexington Housing Authority and Lexmark International, ConnectKentucky will launch a new technology training program on Tuesday aimed at enhancing the lives of those living in the 292 Hope VI Apartments in downtown Lexington. Residents of the Hope VI apartments will be able to sign up for six hours of computer lessons, at the end of which they will be given a desk-top computer, a printer and subsidized broadband access for six months, Gate said. The targeted area is near William Wells Brown, and the targeted population is families and seniors. The goal is to give East End residents a chance to compete in a global economy by placing a crucial piece of the puzzle in their hands. ConnectKentucky began as a public-private partnership in 2004 to fill gaps in broadband coverage across the state and to teach residents how to use computers.Much of its initial work was done in Eastern Kentucky and in rural areas. Inmates at Blackburn Correctional Facility refurbished state computers which were given to students in those areas. Priority will be given to families with schoolchildren and to seniors. No one who has participated in a similar program with the Lexington Fayette County Urban League will be accepted. When: 6 p.m., Tuesday March 20 Where: William Wells Brown Community Center, 548 East Sixth Street. Information: Heather Gate, (270) 799-1649, or Jill Wilson, director of the William Wells Brown Community Center, (859) 389-6678. Source: www.kentucky.com

Naturally you: curls, coils and locs!

Hair Matters … Live Curly, a grassroots advocacy group, want black women to embrace their naturally curly hair and redefine their self-image through information offered at an event they are hosting on March 18. “Naturally you: curls, coils and locs” will feature local and out-of-state stylists who will display the range of styles available with naturally textured hair, as well as ways to better care for curly follicles. The information could be eye-opening for some biracial girls as well. One of the presenters will be Ladosha Lynn Wright, a licensed cosmetology instructor in Cleveland who also produces and hosts the radio talk show, What They Don’t Tell You at the Hair Salon. Wright teaches the study of scalp and hair properties, which help black women properly care for their hair. If you go Naturally You: Curls, Coils and Locs When: 3-7 p.m. March 18. Where: Double Tree Suites, 2601 Richmond Road Cost: $10 for adults; $5 for children younger than 12. Reservations requested. Information: Email hairmatterslivecurly@gmail.com, or call (859) 552-9201.

LIFT Conference

LIFT is a free conference for students in grades five through 12 and their parents. The purpose is to get all of them thinking, talking and doing something about getting more education after high school. The conference - which is presented by the Lexington Urban League Young Professionals with support from Chase Bank, Fayette County Public Schools, YMCA Black Achievers, Transylvania University, Lexmark International and Shadynook Baptist Church in Paris - will include three components. *Students in eighth grade will be treated to a session called “The Complete College Experience.” They will tour Transylvania University, complete a college application and an essay, and hear college students talk about what to expect. *The one for parents is designed to make them aware of texting language, special-needs programs and individual learning plans in schools, cultural diversity in the classroom, and tips for tutoring math and reading. There will also be a Nicholasville police officer will discuss bullying and cyber bullying, showing the repercussions on both sides of the issue. *The third component is for high schoolers. High schoolers in ninth through 11th grades will learn about college planning, ACT and SAT preparation, and the real deal about college. A panel of students from Transy, Morehead State University and the University of Kentucky will speak candidly about campus life.During lunch, three students will receive scholarships for essays they wrote. Also, at the end of the conference, three laptops will be given away, along with other donated items. If you go What: 2012 LIFT Conference, presented by the Lexington Urban League Young Professionals When: 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Saturday; 5:30-8:30 p.m., Friday for eighth-grade students and their parents only. Where: Transylvania University, 300 North Broadway. Information: To register, email your name, age, gender, race, address, grade, school, phone number, and email address to stacey.harris@fayette.kyschools.us, angela.roberts@fayette.kyschools.us, t.c.johnson@fayette.kyschools.us, or danne.johnson@fayette.kyschools.us.

Learning the Ropes: Black Girlhood, Identity and the Power of Play

18th Annual Black Womens' Conference

March 22
6:00pm - UK College of Law Courtroom
Student Town Hall Meeting
Asha French, Affrilachian Poet and English,
Emory University

March 23
10:00am - UK Chandler Hospital Pavilion Auditorium
Anna Julia Cooper Lecture
Nazera Wright, Ph.D., English, UK

12:00pm - UK Boone Faculty Center
Mary McLeod Bethune Luncheon
Kyra Gaunt, Ph.D., Ethnomusicologist and the Department
of Sociology and Anthropology, Baruch College
(Tickets $20 General Admission & $15 for Seniors/Students)

2:00pm - UK Chandler Hospital Pavilion Auditorium
Panel: “Girl Talk”: Creating Empowering
Spaces for Black Girls

4:00pm - UK Chandler Hospital Pavilion Auditorium
Panel: Black Girl Games 101: An Interactive Experience

5:30pm - UK Chandler Hospital Pavilion Auditorium
Doris Y. Wilkinson Distinguished Lecture
Ruth Nicole Brown, Ph.D., Education Policy Studies,
University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign and founder of
SOLHOT (Saving Our Lives Hearing Our Truths) Program
for Black Girls and Women

March 24
11:00am – 2:00pm - Lyric Theater and Cultural Center
Zora Neale Hurston Community Play Date for
Girls of All of Ages: A Village Experience

For more information on the conference and tickets, please call: 859.257.3593 or email: aaas@uky.edu