On January 16th, 2024, the Marriott Library will feature a special exhibition focusing on Utah’s Black history. The event will include a discussion with Rae Duckworth, President of the Utah Black History Museum, and Tarienne Mitchell, Curator, Historian and Archivist for the Utah Black History Museum. There will also be an exhibition in the Gould Auditorium until 3:00 PM. Additionally, the Utah Black History Bus will be parked outside the library’s west entrance, near the bookstore. 

Speakers:

Rae Duckworth
President of the Utah Black History Museum

Rae Duckworth is a Black mother and community member who proudly coordinates the Utah Black History Museum’s exhibit and serves on the Board of Directors as the museum’s President. She began her involvement with preserving and amplifying the Black community in Utah after experiencing the loss of her cousin, Bobby Ray Duckworth, who was shot and killed by police in Utah. Rae currently works with educators, healthcare workers, lawyers, politicians, and community members for routes to conserving Black people, Black culture, and Black history.

Tarienne Mitchell
Curator, Historian, and Archivist for the Utah Black History Museum

Tarienne Mitchell is a certified archivist who has a passion for African American history. After earning a master’s in Library Science from the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, she worked for 8 years in the L.D.S. church’s archive in downtown Salt Lake. While there she became the subject matter expert on the Black L.D.S.church history. Tarienne currently works in Washington D.C. as the cataloging archivist for the Veterans History Project, a special collection in the Library of Congress. (Tarienne is not representing the Library of Congress during this presentation.)  Tarienne created the traveling exhibit for the Utah Black History Museum and continues her work with the museum.

Moderated by:

Eddy Thompson
L3Harris Technologies Global Trade Compliance Manager & L3Harris Employees of African Descent (LEAD) Western Region Director   

Eddy graduated from the University of Utah – Class of 2004, and works for L3Harris Technologies as a Trade Compliance officer and as the Western Region Director for LEAD L3Harris Employees of African Descent Employees Resource Group. Eddy is passionate about his community, serving as an advisor on the Utah Martin Luther King Human Rights Commission, as a member of the France A. Davis Scholarship Foundation, and is a member of the University of Utah Alumni Board of Governors. Eddy works tirelessly to unite his community, building bridges, educating through bookclubs, volunteering, advocacy, directing Black History Programs, and providing opportunities for our youth. Eddy is the son of Ed Sr., and former Education Specialist Dr. Jackie Thompson; he’s husband to Carmen Thompson, and father of Serenity, Taj, and Evangelyne Thompson.

Watch the event live here:

The Utah Black History Museum, known for the colorful traveling Black History Bus, was launched in February 2020 and is managed by a group of passionate volunteers. The museum “is committed to promoting the understanding, appreciation, and advancement of the Black experience in Utah through programming, exhibits, and activities that teach local and national Black history and celebrate the culture of the African Diaspora in the United States.” 

This event is part of the University of Utah 2024 Martin Luther King, Jr. Week lineup. For a full list of events, visit their webpage.