Joanna Hay Productions Announces Kentucky's Black History and Culture Collection on PBS Learning Media

Frankfort, KY (February 27, 2023)

In partnership with KET, Joanna Hay Productions, with Dr. Le Datta Denise Grimes and Judy Sizemore have created a new collection of lesson plans on PBS Learning Media.

The collection is called Kentucky’s Black History and Culture. Covering the Antebellum period there are 12 new lesson plans that span topics on black history from the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade into the Civil War.Some of the videos are new, and some are repurposed from existing media.

Also in this collection are four new lesson plans on the history of the 1964 Freedom March on Frankfort led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackie Robinson and 10,000 Kentuckians. For 5th graders the film and lessons are built around “The Place The March The Movement.” For 8th graders the topic is “The Women The March The Movement” and for High Schoolers, students will learn about “The Youth The March The Movement.” “The Music and The Movement” explores the role of singing and music in the Civil Rights protest movement of the 1960s.

Education writer, Judy Sizemore has created lesson plans for the various age groups. Kentucky African American History scholar, Dr. Le Datta Grimes curated the materials and wrote the Background Reading Essays. Filmmaker Joanna Hay managed the project and produced the videos.