Panel Discussion and Reception, "Documenting Black Leisure and Preserving Community Archives."

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 15:18:38 -0500

Please join us Thursday, December 4, from 5 to 7 p.m in the AOK Gallery for a panel discussion, "Documenting Black Leisure and Preserving Community Archives." Followed by a reception.

Panelists: Corey Lewis, Ashley Minner Jones, Oyinda Omoloja, Liz Patton, and Beth Saunders

Moderated by Sophia Blessit-Sottileo, Dean and Vice Provost of the AOK Library & Gallery.

Picturing Mobility explores what it meant to seek leisure and travel as a Black American during the Jim Crow era. The exhibition features snapshots and travel ephemera of Black leisure experiences primarily from the mid-Atlantic during the 1920s to 1960s. From beach outings to family road trips, these images offer glimpses into everyday moments of happiness, relaxation and community, challenging dominant narratives that define the era solely through restriction and struggle.

More information about the exhibit can be found here.

Image credit: Photographer Unknown, Couple Hugging, Packard, 1950s. Gelatin silver print. Courtesy of The Burns Collection & Archive.