RFK in EKY
In September 2004, the RFK in EKY project involved hundreds of community members in a real-time recreation of Robert F. Kennedy’s visit to eastern Kentucky in 1968. Since then, the project has been busy documenting the event and continuing the conversations begun in 1968 and carried on in 2004.
The digital photo archive contains more than 2,200 pictures-- photos collected during the project, pictures of RFK’s visit to eastern Kentucky in 1968 donated by local residents and archives, rehearsals and research pictures and pictures of the performance itself. Fifteen copies of this archive have been given to libraries and schools and institutions that participated in the project. One will be in the new Appalshop Archive as well.
The project also edited and distributed a DVD with three issues that came up during the project: Coal Mining, War, and Nutrition, adding questions to each section to continue the community conversations started by the performance. Letcher County Central High School and Hazard Community College have used it in history, sociology and communications classes and plan to continue to do so next year. Other participants of the project are planning to set up conversations in their communities as well.
Negotiations with a book publisher are ongoing. The book will make the connection between the project and the national and current issues and will feature writings by local, regional and national activists. The website is being updated, so you can take a virtual RFK in EKY tour from 1968 to 2004 and into the future.
In making RFK in EKY we developed a close working relationship with the four-county LKLP Head Start program. Head Start’s mission to grow healthy children includes supporting healthy families and communities. One of the most urgent conversations to come out of the 2004 performance has been the issue of drug abuse in the community. Staff and parents of the LKLP Head Start program have been deeply involved with RFK staff in conducting an ongoing series of bi-weekly community conversations in Jenkins, Mayking and Cowan. Project participants are developing a script from these conversations that will be given back to the community by being performed in Head Start centers, schools and other community settings.
RKF in EKY Media Links:
