THE
CENTER FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN
And 300FOR300 PRESENTS BLACK GIRLS, BUTTERFLIES AND THE MAGIC OF DREAMS
January 9 - February 13, 2026
Kentucky Center for African American Heritage 1701 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd. Louisville, Kentucky 40203 (502) 583-4100
Mon-Fri: 10 am – 4 pm
Support for this exhibit provided in part by: Brown-Forman
Kentucky Arts Council
Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet
Louisville Metro Government
Support for the creation of this exhibition was provided by 300FOR300 partners:
Norton Family Foundation
Jewish Heritage Fund
Kentucky Foundation for Women Fund for the Arts
Metro United Way
Louisville Jefferson County Office of Arts & Creative Industries
Louisville Jefferson County Office of Violence Prevention
This exhibit would not be possible without 300For300
Program Director Katianna Martin & critical support of exhibition installation by Latora Schmidt.
Artwork on Cover - Photographs & Seed of L.O.V.E. - Chastity Dotson
Photographic portraits throughout Catalogue - Chastity Dotson
Flower Crown on opposite page - Zieyah
THE KENTUCKY CENTER FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE
From the 1920s to the 1950s, Old Walnut Street in downtown Louisville was a hub for African American culture and business in the region. Black-owned businesses flourished, and the music venues and theatres attracted people of all cultures to the area. Urban renewal in the ‘50s ended much of this, but we haven’t forgotten our past. In 1994, the African American Heritage Foundation (AAHF) was established to primarily preserve African American sites, communities, and culture. This initiative started with the preservation of historic structures in the African American community of Louisville and the implementation of historic markers to recognize significant sites.
The Kentucky Center for African American Heritage represents the next step in the preservation process, with the additional aim of serving as a source of revitalization and education for the Kentucky African American community and beyond. Evolving from the Louisville and Jefferson County African American Heritage Committee, the Heritage Center is a space for African American spoken word, visual and performing artists, to collaborate and provide the rich heritage of African Americans with the voice and platform it deserves.
The Heritage Center’s campus is located on the historic Louisville Street Railway Complex, a central site in the fight for transportation equality in 1876. Since the renovation of the 55,000-square-foot campus, we’ve worked to raise public awareness about the history, heritage, and cultural contributions of African Americans in Kentucky and in the African Diaspora. The Heritage Center is also a vital, contemporary institution, providing space for exhibitions and performances of all types.
Located at 18th and Muhammad Ali Boulevard, the Heritage Center overlooks the area that was once Old Walnut Street. This area holds special significance for African American community in Kentuckiana. Through the efforts of the Heritage Center, with help from the community, we aim to restore it as a place of cultural significance once more. The Kentucky Center for African American Heritage is dedicated solely to showcasing our community’s triumphs. Here, African American history has a platform to share its monumental achievements with the community where they occurred.
OUR MISSION
KCAAH’s aims to enhance public knowledge about the history, heritage and cultural contributions of African Americans in Kentucky, and in the African Diaspora. In addition to its commitment to preserving past traditions and accomplishments, the Center serves as a vital, contemporary institution that provides space for exhibitions and performances of all types.
CURATOR JULIA YOUNGBLOOD
Julia Youngblood is recognized in arts and social justice communities for her multifaceted contributions and commitment to creativity and cultural equity. Julia is a recipient of 2024 and 2025 Fund for the Arts Community Event Grants, the 2023 Curate, Purchase, Inspire award from Louisville Visual Art, and the 2022 Indiana Arts Commission On-Ramp fellowship. Julia actively engages with various community organizations facilitating arts programming to empower individuals and foster connection. In addition to playing a vital role in supporting exhibitions and curation at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, Julia’s recent curatorial projects include It’s More than Resilience:A Park Hill and Algonquin Community Exhibition; Divergent Dreams at Dreams with Wings; and solo exhibitions by CJ Fletcher and Lance Newman at Our Place at Ben Washer Park. Julia’s dedication to amplifying diverse voices and narratives within the arts landscape, and her holistic approach to art and wellness embody a vision of harmonizing mind, body, and spirit for a better world.
ABOUT 300FOR300
The mission of 300FOR300 is to save lives. We provide a safe third space where Colorful Girls are empowered to dream, heal, and share their stories. Through creative writing, art-making, and on site therapeutic support offered every program hour, we cultivate a joyful community that strengthens self expression, supports mental health, and helps girls realize their greatest potential. Each year participants have the opportunity to serve, step into leadership, and earn a laptop. Since the program began, nearly one hundred fifty girls have received laptops. In partnership with the Jewish Heritage Fund, 300FOR300 created Project Happier, a youth designed mental health initiative that is helping us build a mental health toolkit that heals trauma through joy. This toolkit is being prepared for local use with plans for future national sharing.
300FOR300 FOUNDER CHASTITY DOTSON
I was in Los Angeles writing in quarantine. I had just gotten my first professional writer’s job on an AMC television show, and the joy that I felt of being included in the conversation, to share my voice and my perspective was like a Renaissance. I worked so hard coming up with ideas and I remember that feeling of wonder, and my life was starting over in this time when everything was crumbling with protests. I saw what was happening with Brianna Taylor, and I wanted to help. I didn’t initially know what I was going to do, and then I got a challenge to run 300 miles in eight weeks. Nobody was running, nobody was outside. I thought, well, I wonder if I could run 300 miles for 300 girls in Louisville and share 300 stories. Maybe we can change the narrative. massive, positive action in the face of inequity and injustice. So I talked to some people. They said, that’s crazy, and that’s always a good thing to say to me, so I was like, great, I’m going to do it.
The goal was to raise enough money to buy 300 laptops. It was an idea that obviously was way too simplistic, but I flew here and I bought the first three laptops from some of my earnings from the writing job. I knocked on doors of three girls, handed them out, and started to work with them on Zoom, and that was the beginning. I just came in the middle of the the protests and all of the city was in anguish.
I just hit the ground running. The run was set to be done over the course of eight weeks. I started the program not very long after I started the run. It was pretty incredible because the girls would see me running and then they wanted to run and asked if they could run with me. The first run was five miles and I ran around the Science Center where we were located, and ended up in Injustice Square and sat and took in all that was happening. 12
Whenever I wasn’t working, I ran. The first month I ran the first 200 miles, it was very hard. And then the last month, I ran the final 100. I kept reminding myself that it wasn’t for me, that it was to show that a total stranger who had an entirely other life, really valued the lives of these girls who I’d never met and was willing to stop everything and put myself into the line and make a sacrifice for them. As a gesture of their value, that I recognize their value as equally important as my life. Although, you know, maybe people didn’t necessarily grasp it, that all of us had that same weight and that I was going to show them that their life carried the weight of my own.
I thought that the project was going to take three months. That was almost five years ago. I didn’t have any intention to start a nonprofit. I was just coming to do a little good deed and show them that I care and leave, go back to my life. But when we finished that first session with the first 20 girls, they had gotten so close as a sisterhood. And some of them, I didn’t know it, didn’t have family outside of this, and really needed this as a family, and were saying, What are we gonna do when you leave? And I was like, oh, um very good question. I didn’t think
of that. So then Eran Poole, one of our Founders, came up with a writing clinic, and during that time they shared so much - so much trauma and I thought, we need a professional. Then we came up with Thrive: Therapist Helping Reverse Impact of Violence and Emotional Trauma.
300FOR300 is a wide open space with room to run. It’s a safe space to be a child and to laugh and to practice joy. Setting those boundaries around what safety is, teaching that, and letting them see what their hearts look like on the outside is a very good start to healing.
The biggest element of healing is to ask the person who needs to be healed. The kids here are not aware of their own importance, their own divinity, their own sacredness, their own power to impact change in the world, and that their voices are really important in our world. The number one element that we have really locked in on is if you are trying to create change in a community, and you are not starting by really, really listening to the community, then it’s
not gonna work. It’s been hard because, whether I knew it or not at some point, I felt entitled to have my way be what worked. It’s very painful when you have to have the ego death of, no, we don’t even like it, and we don’t even know if we like you and you’re not listening. It was terrible, but there were things that they needed that weren’t being provided. That’s what they taught was that if you listen, you will find it’s very easy. As soon as you find an easy route, another route opens, right, and says, that’s good. You got that road? Let’s take you down the darker path.
We are currently focused on joy and they’re so joyful. But with that, because we’re endeavoring to heal trauma through joy, we found this deep trauma zone that we’ve never seen. By listening and giving them the highest level of respect, which they don’t get in a lot of spaces, they change. They change when we are firm about respect. I respect your need for autonomy, for ownership, for consent. I respect your need for respect.
I came to Louisville because of this oppression. It’s been building over time, people not feeling valued, people not feeling that their lives are a value, people feeling that they’re being breached, killed, injured, not respected. When I came I definitely felt the division that I didn’t feel in a big city, ‘cause it’s not so overt. But I was very surprised by the deep connection. The yin and the yang, where there is deep division, there are also deep connection, and the need to balance the scales of that deep division is very strong. I’ve had some tremendous allies. There were people here who genuinely said, I am here to
make sure that I right the wrongs that are being done here. It was the kindness of the community we were able to hold our program. Our supporters are now helping us develop Project Happier. We have a mobile mental health app that we’re going to be launching within our program. And now working with KCAAH, and collaborating with your creative home is very special. It’s a very special thing that happens here, this action underneath. It’s a fluid action. That’s something that doesn’t exists everywhere: the understanding that we are better together and that we have to do it together.
We are teaching kids to treat their trauma as if it’s something that can be expressed and shared, as an art form. But it’s also about safety, and the sisterhood, the community element. They taught us that they need to help. The highest form of humanity and connection is being able to feel that you are helping someone else who’s in your same position. There’s this adultification that is happening, and we’re turning that adultification into a model of empowerment. They’re given jobs, they receive our own currency for our little store. They get a laptop, but they have to earn it. Once they finish and complete the nine week course, they can come back as leaders. The work with the other girls, help us keep this place clean, become youth advisors and create the curriculum, do outreach. You have to have a certain grade point average, do your chores at home, show up here, help out. You have lend your voice to the cause, understand that your voice is powerful and use your voice for change.
What we know through neuroscience is that if you keep doing something over and over, it’s going to impact your identity, change your chemistry and your brain. So over time, if we keep them here long enough, is it going to impact the trajectory of their lives, and it has. We have girls who are now in university, girls studying public policy, or to be pilots, fashion designers, nurses. Some of them are on our board now. And it started with us just letting them in on this secret that you are the change, you are the thing that matters the most in your world.
Action is the quickest way out of reaction. We do a creative body scan. We start with somatic noticing. You notice the things that you feel and mark them on a diagram — your feet hurt, head aches, nose is run
ning. We teach them to be aware of and process their emotions. We have also created a digital tool the girls can click on when in distress, and it will give them some options of what to do: create art, do a body scan, rest, call a friend. We want to create a scalable mental health tool kit that can be used anywhere. They’ve told us, they’re getting their tools from TikTok. They don’t trust that adults are going to not judge them, or rat them out, diagnose them. So because they’re scared... they don’t talk about it. And online they’re coming up with really bad solutions. So our Tools allow them to check in and to see what to do, and practice those solutions over time. Eventually the solutions come naturally.
As a middle school girl I was. so removed and quiet, and I kept all of my things inside. One day my psychology teacher asked me Why are you so unhappy? And I looked at him, and I my eyes well up with tears. And I said, “I’m not unhappy!” And I ran out so upset, and I was just shaking,’cause he had seen it and I didn’t think anybody could see it. He started letting me come after school every day and counseling me, because I didn’t have a therapist or anybody to talk to. He listened and he probably saved my life because I didn’t feel safe, and I didn’t feel that I could express myself. Before that, before we moved to that town, I was living in Gary, Indiana, which was voted the most miserable place to grow up. I was always scared as a child. I was terrified. It was spiritual. I couldn’t sleep. And I was impacted by everything. I would just lie awake, scared all night and not feeling safe. The girls in this community don’t feel safe, so we created a safe space for them, a place where they are held and heard. Where they can speak, create and not have to deal with the outside world for a while. We all could use a sacred space. I know I could have. With so much
happening at home, just to have a place where you’re not in trouble. Our next space should be for everyone. For families, for the girls. It should be for healing and restoration. We have people who come in here and they just cry. We had someone in yesterday, and she just could not stop welling up. And the girls, too, they come in and can’t stop crying. We tell them, your tears water the flowers. It’s okay. Crying is part of your growth.
The parents are really overwhelmed, trying to work, be with their kids, take everybody everywhere and keep them safe. We call them colorful art forms, and it’s, you know, in Kentucky, in Louisville, there’s a deep tradition of colorism. When the girls come in, we don’t talk a lot about them as being black girls. We don’t talk about it in part because what I’ve learned from being with them is that the last thing that they want to do is to be immediately confronted with their trauma. They would really rather, for a moment, be who they are when they don’t have to think about it. And so here, if it doesn’t come up as something that’s bothering them, we let them be. We let them be sad. We let them be happy. We let them be frustrated. We let them play, we let them sing, we let them dance, we let them feel the tingling in their arms.We let them dictate. We let the parents dictate. How do you want to heal? What are the things that are important to you? 300FOR300 is the community’s. When I feel that it can carry the sacred energy forward, when that
is there and the girls recognize it when they walk into the room, no matter who is there, they know, I am safe then we will have created a model for the community. We’ve just started something called Coalition of Families. And the Coalition of Families is getting the mothers, getting the fathers to begin to build. That’s what the youth advisory board is. Let’s have you guys building this. We want a place where they’re going to come and they’re going to say, I do deserve this. I do feel really good. I feel really ordered and respected and prized and valued and, you know, magical.
I’ve noticed lately that there are some things that are lighter in me. I’m an artist, I’m a feeler, I’m a sensitive person. There was a time when it was really important for me to seem as if I knew what I was doing and to present that I knew what I was doing and then when I realized that it doesn’t actually matter what people think. It really freed up a lot of energy. Doing this and making a ton of mistakes almost every day and being okay with making mistakes and learning that it’s just curiosity instead of life and death. I feel so much more peace to not pretend. I’m just grateful to be in their lives and I hope that I can continue to grow towards compassion for them and for myself.
From a conversation with curator Julia Youngblood November 19, Louisville, KY
Dear little me, don’t change for anybody. Know that you’re not for everyone and you shouldn’t try to change yourself for anyone. But if someone doesn’t like you for the person you are they aren’t meant to be in your life in the first place. Amina
Dear younger me, hold Mama, daddy, and big momma tightly. Mama is going to get sick after daddy’s death. It will crush you. But mom will help you get through it, but mom’s gonna get sick and they won’t tell you, but you will be upset she’s okay, but hug big momma tighter and tighter. Sincerely your older self.
Christina
Just remember that there are people like you. There will be times when you feel out of place but soon you’ll find interest to keep you out of your head. You will find good friends that share similar traits as you. Soon you will be in a place where you feel safe and happy. You will find more ways to express yourself. There will be many more books for us to read and we will find ourselves in old books that we still love. We will love to read and we do a lot of extracurriculars and do many sports. We will learn much more math and science. We will learn how to not let people’s words affect us as much. We will travel and see so much more of the world. We will find so much more beauty in the world. Remember that you don’t have to be someone else because people don’t like you. Please never lose the energy you have.
From, Cydnee
My hair shines like the north star. I am happy as a sun. Faith means the most to me because God has shown me his strength and he is really strong to guide me –faith belongs in my mind. You are worth it, don’t prove that to no one but yourself. Destoni
The only thing holding you back is yourself. Don’t keep yourself down, don’t degrade the things you can’t change. You will do amazing things in the future stay considerate, creative, and the loving person you’ve always been and everything will work out the way it’s supposed to. With love, Eden
Dear younger me, your love life is somewhat hopeless. You are gonna meet people that hate you for no reason. You’re gonna shed so many tears. You have a passion for fashion. You will only have one bestie at school. You will grow to love horror movies. You are imperfect, but still beautiful in our parents eyes in middle school you will get into verbal fights. Your friendships will be your biggest enemies. You will vent to your main besties. Stay true to yourself and in the 7th grade you will grow into mental health issues. You will go on beautiful trips and make sure you don’t make the same mistake I did, and hold your head high. PS: Your love life is actually pointless and you’ll want a boyfriend by 12 and you’ll join this incredible group called 300FOR300. Gabby
To my 8 year old self:I am so sorry for not loving you like I should have when I messed up or felt out of place. I wish I would have reacted better to negative situations. I wish you would have learned to love every part of yourself, not just your brain, but your beauty, and personality. Life is different now. We are in middle school getting ready for high school. Your best friends are Ashlynn, Serenity, Alba, Charlotte. 7th grade basketball is going well, you play and score more. You mentor peers and classmates and it helps you along the way. I just want you to know and understand that I am in a good place, with lots of amazing friends, family, and mentors. I Love You So Much!! And to my 20 year old self: I hope your college life is going great. I want you to have fun, and find good friends. But you need to remember your goals. Do not get caught up in what you can’t do or if anybody does something better on you. Just focus on loving and growing yourself. I want you to find a job that you love and somebody that you love as well as somebody who loves you. Go on trips and utilize your passport but don’t become a careless spender. Remember to stay true to yourself. I Love You and have great hope for your future. Gianna
I am Hope and that doesn’t come with one sentence because of how unique I am. I’m creative, shy, helpful, resourceful, courageous, strong, and loving everything about me makes me the person that I am. And I can’t be described with just one word. Hope
Dear Younger self, your body was ready, but you were not, lost in your mind you were held back from the good of the world around you. You were bullied and sometimes cried in the dark, silent notifications, dark nights, and still so alone even with your friends. I wish I could have guided you and helped you, but I was frozen in time until you were old enough to have a big girl talk. You had people to talk to, but you were scared so you found your peace in music. You paved the way for yourself and you did great. You got everything you wanted, a slimmer face, intelligence and accomplishments. We’re 13 and now life’s better than it ever has been and you rap with the Real Young Prodigies. Clap it up you made it.
Sincerely,
Jus’Tyce
Dear Little Me, oh you bloom from seed to tree. You are the eye of my storm, the key to my heart. And to life above, Oh Dear Little Me Don’t you cry, it feels like acid that runs through my skin, from blood to bone, you are not unknown. You fill others with joy, you are kind, too kind for your own good that people take away from you. Oh me oh me, how naïve you are. Cupcakes and Rainbows, all your ever be. So little me, let this be a lesson. Don’t break down, thou all shall be around of love and hope. Get through the storm to see the rainbow. My little cherry blossom of sunshine.
Kennedy
Dear younger me, you will end up being a great young lady, make sure to never let anyone put you down, always try your best even when things get hard.
Kristen
Dear Little Nyah. We are already 13. You are going to have a lot of challenges, good days, and bad days, but don’t let these bad days bring you down. You will meet amazing people and some are bad, but you will get through it. Be strong. You are going to be a little performer and you love to perform. Even if you think Mama is mean she’s not. She’s your best friend and will do anything for you, just like your brother, and you’ll always have fun with your future niece. Dad will come back and you will be a little mad but we’ll try to work things out with him and you will have amazing friends. You shouldn’t use momma’s card to buy an iPhone at 9. Please don’t, you will be happy at 1st and then you won’t and you will have a lot of arguments with Mamma - like a lot, but she knows you and still she loves you for you. You will go on a lot of trips and have a lot of fun, okay you’re a star, you will be in a few performances when you get older, have some mistakes and misunderstandings but will get them figured out. Never have anything bring you down and think before you do, okay. I love you and have good days also don’t forget to be your best self. Remember you’re a queen, you’re unstoppable, you’re kind, you’re strong and you’re a star. Love, Nyah
Dear Little Me, we’ve grown so far, can’t you see? We are now in 8th grade an we made money and got paid. We made a long way, at the end of the day. I know you will miss me but you will always, forever be my little bee. Ra’Venal
Hello to my younger self, I hope you love how you have sprouted into someone you truly are! I hope you continue to dream and dream , because without those dreams, I wouldn’t take the time to be where I am now. I hope that you remember that you can always start over, and that life will give you so many wonderful things! So cherish those things around you and hold them close. I hope you’re proud of where I am now.
Romi
Dear Younger self, If you could see how you’re doing now you would be so impressed! You’ve improved so much through your dance journey, friendships, and life overall but something I do wish I could go back in time and relive is this younger journey. I miss it, but we can’t go back in time. I just wanna let you know the improvement and things you’ve been through are amazing. Goodbye from your younger 14 year old self. Saniyah
Dear Little Me, I know you can’t read but you will make it and yes we got a phone now and further me just make sure you focus on improvement and making us stable and making us money.
Zieyah
