Lexington hosts talk on race relations

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ)- The community is invited to participate in a discussion on race relations at the Lyric Theater tonight.

The conversation, hosted by Kentucky Humanities, will include a panel discussion from various experts on the topic.

Organizers say the discussion will be a Q and A style event where audience members will be encouraged to speak on issues they find relevant to race relations which they expect will include the recent controversy over the relocation of the confederate statues downtown and the even more recent immigration raids witnessed in Nicholasville this week.

The discussion titled “Aunt Jemima and the Complexities of Race” will feature a panel of experts from both here in Kentucky and across the nation.

Organizers say the discussion will tackle a variety of Lexington issues including stereotypes in the community and how to create a more inclusive and welcoming city.

Organizers say they hope the conversation opens peoples eyes to the true and sometimes difficult realities of our community and inspires them to create positive change.

“And it spreads, it spreads like a virus and so then you start seeing, you stop yourself from doing it and the next step is that you stop your friends and family from saying things like that and believing things like that and the world becomes a better place,” said Kathleen Pool with Kentucky Humanities.

The discussion begins at 6:30.

It is free and open to the public.

A second of this discussion will also be taking place tomorrow morning at Frederick Douglass high school for hundreds of Fayette County students to participate in as well.