Race and Change Across Cultures and Generations: New Narratives for our Times

The African American Cultural Center and Museum of Florida welcomes you to the special opening night of the traveling exhibiton, “The NMAAHC: A Place for All People.” The opening presentation is “Race and Change across Cultures and Generations: New Narratives for our Times” by Dr. Kitty Oliver with Thomas Jones Jr, jazz guitarist accompanying. This multimedia program blends videos, audio, and storytelling with research and music in a thought-provoking, entertaining look at the complexities of race relations in the U.S. – past and present – from a variety of racial and cultural perspectives. The presentation features personal stories collected in Florida’s diverse communities with voices ranging from the civil rights era to today’s youth. This is an inclusive conversation about differences that goes beyond the news and social media to explore what elders and younger people can teach and learn from each other. Dr. Kitty Oliver is a veteran journalist, oral historian and author, TV and radio producer, and recording artist with an MFA in Creative Writing and a Ph.D. in Comparative Studies focusing on race and ethnic communication. She founded the Race and Change Initiative Oral Histories Archive, one of the largest collections of cross-cultural stories on race and ethnic relations in the country, housed in Special Collections at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center and part of the American Folklife Center’s Civil Rights History Project. Her books, public television documentaries, and podcasts are used widely in public schools, college classrooms, and her historical perspectives have been chronicled on CNN and the Ron Howard Beatles film “Eight Days a Week: The Touring Years.” She is also a national Encore Public Voices Fellow for 2020-2021 and travels widely presenting her Race and Change work. Refreshments, a book signing with Dr. Oliver and vocalist/musician CDs will be available at the opening event.

Admission is free, but donations are always appreciated. This program and the exhibition are funded in part through a Florida Humanities Community Project Grant in partnership with the African American Cultural Society Inc.