Paducah's August 8th Celebration: "Upper Town Love, Apart Together 2020"

In honor of the August 8th celebration, the Hotel Metropolitan will offer a FREE exhibit to the community entitled: Upper Town Love, Apart Together 2020. This unique exhibit shares a collection of photographs of African American mover and shakers and the contributions they have made to the world. 

The exhibit is part of an ongoing effort to uplift the African American history of Western Kentucky, and highlights Billie Holliday, Alice Dunigan, Mary Ford Holland, Mamie “Peanut” Johnson, Annie Turbo Malone, Fate Marable, the W.C. Young Center, and the 8th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery Regiment. 

It is always special to be able to continue to partner with former host communities, and RUX is honored to support Paducah’s August 8th celebration through a supporting partnership. The Hotel Metropolitan has been an important partner in the development of RUX, and served as one of the RUX host partners in Paducah in 2015 and 2016. Many RUX members first learned about the 8th of August tradition during these visits. We are grateful for the opportunity to lift up the legacy of African American luminaries who have made an impact in Western Kentucky. 

Upper Town Love, Apart Together 2020 will be held Saturday, August 8, 2020, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m on the lawn of the Hotel Metropolitan to practice social distancing. D.J. Crystal Shackelford will provide the music for the event. This is a free event, but donations are welcome. The exhibit is funded in part through Kentucky Humanities, and through a supporting partnership with the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange (RUX).

To get involved, follow the Hotel Metropolitan on facebook and keep an eye out for information about an upcoming West Kentucky Women of World virtual conference event on Saturday, September 26. The event will feature Representative Attica Scott of Louisville as the keynote speaker and workshops will also be offered to participants, including cinematography, hip hop, visual art, dance, and more. 

For more information, contact Betty Dobson at dobs@bellsouth.net.