Magrath Community Engagement Award Spotlight: University of Louisville

In recognition of their extraordinary community outreach initiatives, four APLU member institutions have been selected as regional recipients of the 2019 W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Engagement Scholarship Award. As regional winners, Colorado State University, Cornell University, University of Louisville, and Purdue University will represent and compete for the national C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award, which will be announced during the APLU Annual Meeting November 10-12 in San Diego, California. In this post, APLU spotlights University of Louisville

The University of Louisville’s Institute for Social Justice Research partnered with the Fairness Campaign, an LGBTQ-equality organization, to produce the nation’s first statewide report on LGBTQ history. The effort convened University of Louisville faculty, students, librarians, and archivists as well as staff from the Fairness Campaign and the Kentucky State Historic Preservation Office to uncover previously untold experiences of LGBTQ residents through interviews with dozens of Kentuckians.

Working with the Kentucky State Historic Preservation Office, the partnership also established two LGBTQ historic sites, recognizing LGBTQ people in the state. The report notes that LGBTQ people in Kentucky long faced social hostility, including suppression and violence. The National Park Service also reviewed, endorsed, and published the report through an initiative documenting under-represented communities, further elevating awareness of the LGBTQ community in Kentucky. The historic sites, meanwhile, recognize LGBTQ people in Kentucky’s heritage and sparked important public discourse about equality and inclusiveness.