In an act to help unify the city, Dracin Williams is teaming up with different churches and organizations to teach Owensboro about the history of Baptist Town and the city at large on July 31.
Williams said the idea came after he took some kids from the St. Pius X youth program to Baptist Town to learn about the neighborhood and people inside. He said most people throughout the city might not know about the history of the neighborhood, especially its relation to the Black community.
The tour comes at a good time, Williams said, as the city is putting money toward the neighborhood. He wants to make sure people “don’t lose sight of the people who have a rich history” in Baptist Town.
He said that the tour will touch on specific things like the history of poverty and low achievement that are common in the neighborhood. Beyond Baptist Town, he thinks topics like the Confederate statue and Rainey Bethea will come up.
“As national debates rise about what history we’re going to learn and who gets to be taught about their own history, I think locally what I hope this accomplishes is that we are learning more about the history of each other,” Williams said.
Williams said this event will be able to help Owensboro come together because he believes if the residents learn about each other, it will allow people to unite regardless of the history central to Owensboro.
“It’s not just the history of Baptist Town … but learning more about each other’s history so that we can be better connected as a city and as a people,” Williams said.
Williams said the event will allow people to talk about the history of their own neighborhoods and provide an educational experience for all. To get involved, Williams said to head to the Facebook page to let him know if you are interested in speaking.
