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Some stories require a little more – a little more discussion, more context, more depth and breadth. 

That’s the idea behind “Behind the Blue” – a weekly podcast created by UK Strategic Communications. It is designed to explore through probing interviews the in-depth the stories that make UK the university for Kentucky and that have impact across the institution, the Commonwealth and, in some cases, the world. 

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For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email BehindTheBlue@uky.edu or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show’s blog page.

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  1. All Episodes
  2. February 1, 2024 - Anastasia Curwood & Austin Zinkle (Civil Rights and Restorative Justice-Kentucky)

February 1, 2024 - Anastasia Curwood & Austin Zinkle (Civil Rights and Restorative Justice-Kentucky)

Transcript

Feb 1, 2024

LEXINGTON, Ky. (February 1, 2024) – “Every single one of them said, ‘My God, I had no idea something like this happened.’ I think they are learning something about their communities that they didn’t know before,” says Anastasia Curwood, director of the Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies, referring to the reaction of students to their work with the groundbreaking Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Kentucky Project, a pilot program stemming from the pioneering CRRJ Project at Northeastern University School of Law. Prompted by the national project and working with the University of Kentucky’s Rosenberg School of Law, they recognized the urgent need to address unsolved murders in Kentucky tied to racism or racial hostility.

The multidimensional approach encompasses legal seminars, historical research, and a restorative justice element, intertwining legal expertise and historical context to unravel mysteries dating back through the past 100 years. This unique project bridges the gap between academic disciplines, offering students the opportunity to delve into cold cases that state agencies, hindered by resource constraints, often overlook or are unable to continue work on.

The significance of this initiative lies not only in its historical inquiry but also in its potential to redefine how Kentuckians perceive their past. By investigating historical wrongs, the project seeks to create a more honest narrative of the Commonwealth, acknowledging the lasting impact on families and communities.

On this episode of ‘Behind the Blue,’ Curwood is joined by Austin Zinkle, a post-doctoral scholar and co-leader of the CRRJ-Kentucky legal clinic. They discuss the intricate connections between the past and present, and their efforts to shed light on real traumas and historical injustices that continue to shape Kentucky today. 

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show’s blog page.

To discover what’s wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.