Titled Lexington's Civil Rights Legacy, the collection of photographs by Nigeria RPCV Calvert McCann, was the reason for the remembering
Photos elicit memories of civil rights movement
By Jennifer Hewlett
HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER
Several people talked about the old days, not the good old days, but the days of sit-ins, marches and prayer vigils. They talked about their struggles and the struggles of many other people -- people like Ronald Berry, Harry Sykes, Julia Lewis, Cal Wallace and W.A. Jones -- in the fight for civil rights in Lexington.
Large black and white photographs, reminders of those days, lined the walls of the room at the University of Kentucky Singletary Center for the Arts, where the reminiscing was taking place.
Titled Lexington's Civil Rights Legacy, the collection of photographs by amateur photographer Calvert McCann, was the reason for the remembering and the reason a large crowd gathered at the Singletary Center last night.
"Things have changed," Abby Marlatt, a retired UK professor and the principal founder of the Congress of Racial Equality, told the crowd.
She said civil rights in Lexington became a reality through the support of academicians, local churches, including historic black churches such as Historic Pleasant Green Baptist Church, and people such as Calvert McCann, one of many who participated in the movement as youths. Their actions chipped away at discrimination in public accommodations, employment and housing, she said.
"There are still achievements we need to make ...," she said.
Several of McCann's photographs accompanied a 2004 Herald-Leader series of articles on the civil rights movement in Lexington, which the newspaper's predecessors failed to cover when it occurred more than 40 years ago.
"Calvert's photographs obviously made it a much, much better piece," said Herald-Leader reporter Linda Blackford, who worked on the series.
"It was natural for me to take pictures," McCann said after recalling how he and his brother William often photographed scenes around their home and school as teenagers.
McCann's photographs have drawn the attention of news organizations throughout the world since the Herald-Leader series ran.
"It's been a little overwhelming, I'm telling you, the attention that I got," said McCann, who has been a social worker, youth counselor and a member of the Peace Corps.
William Turner, UK vice president for university initiatives and associate provost for multicultural affairs, said the 24 photographs would be displayed at UK's Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Center during the summer. He said he would like to see the collection travel to local middle and high schools starting this fall and eventually be put on permanent display at a new UK residence hall to be named for John T. Smith, the first African-American to serve as a UK vice president.
