Media Advisory: "African-American History Makers, Agents of Change"

April 16, 2008

Contact: Kamau Kemayo, 217/206-8248, kkema2@uis.edu

What: An opening reception for the multimedia exhibit "African-American History Makers: Agents of Change"

When: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 16

Where: PAC restaurant, Public Affairs Center at UIS    

Details: "Agents of Change," celebrating inspiring stories of African Americans, both famous and unsung, is a production of the U of I and The HistoryMakers, a Chicago-based, independent nonprofit oral history archive that chronicles the lives of African Americans. One exhibit will be installed at each U of I campus.

The Springfield exhibit will feature eleven 3-feet by 8-feet standing banners with original illustrations and short biographies. Subjects will include former U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Carol Moseley Braun; Illinois Senate president Emil Jones; Chicago Federal Reserve Bank chairman Lester McKeever; U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama; poet Sterling Plumpp; and Illinois legislator Monica Faith Stewart.

The opening reception kicks off the first year of a collaboration between the University of Illinois and The HistoryMakers.

More information about The HistoryMakers is available at www.thehistorymakers.com.

For more information about the Springfield exhibit, contact Kamau Kemayo, UIS assistant professor of African American Studies, at 206-8248.

The University of Illinois at Springfield, one of three U of I campuses, is a small, public liberal arts university that offers 42 degree programs: 21 bachelor's, 20 master's, and the Doctorate of Public Administration. UIS has a special mission in public affairs and service and is known for extraordinary internships, a wireless campus, extensive online offerings, and a commitment to teaching.