By Ariel C. Emberton, staff writer/photographer, Office of University Communications
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – Dr. Gerald L. Smith, professor of history at the University of Kentucky, will speak at Campbellsville University’s Black History Month chapel service Feb. 10 at 10 a.m.
Smith teaches African American and Africana Studies at the University of Kentucky. He serves as the pastor of the Pilgrim Baptist Church in Lexington, Ky. He previously served as the pastor of Farristown Baptist Church in Berea, Ky. His research interests include African American history, race and sports, Black freedom struggle, African America education and Kentucky African American history.
In 2015, he received Campbellsville University’s Racial Reconciliation Award which is given to those who have shown outstanding characteristics of servant leadership in bringing people together past racial matters and across lines of ethnicity, and who have been significant bridge builders for the community.
Smith is the author, editor and co-editor of four books. His over 40 publications include articles, essays and book reviews, which have been published in historical journals and encyclopedias.
He has been a guest speaker at multiple events, consulted on historical projects and conducted a variety of workshops for primary and secondary school teachers. He is working on three projects.
Smith is the former chair of the Kentucky African American Heritage Commission. He serves on the Kentucky Historical Society Governing Board. In June 2020 he was appointed to serve as co-chair of the Commission for Racial Justice and Equality in Fayette County.
From 1988 to 1993, Smith taught at the University of Memphis. He is a former holder of the Theodore A. Hallam Professorship and the Martin Luther King Center Scholar-in-Residence at UK. From 1997 to 2005, he served as the director of the African American Studies and Research Program at UK.
Smith is the recipient of many awards including the 2016 Living Legacy Award from the Kentucky Black Legislative Caucus. In 2019 he was inducted into the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame.
He received his Bachelor of Arts in History, Master of Arts in History and Ph.D. in History all from UK.
Smith is married to Teresa and they have two daughters, Elizabeth and Sarah.
All chapels are televised on WLCU (Comcast Cable channel 10 and digital channel 15), streamed on Campbellsville University’s Facebook page and wlcutv.com and can be found at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGOyyKyrGBpSx8-uXa4NRtw.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 10,000 students offering over 100 programs of study including Ph.D., master, baccalaureate, associate, pre-professional and certification programs. The website for complete information is www.campbellsville.edu.