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Kentucky Legends: William Wells Brown

Kentucky Chautauqua

Presented by Kentucky Humanities, Virgil Covington, Jr. portrays William Wells Brown. This program is part of Kentucky Legends, a series exploring our state's culture, history, and lore.

Kentucky Humanities and the Lexington Public Library present Virgil Covington Jr. as William Wells Brown. 

William Wells Brown was the first published African American novelist and playwright. Born near Mt. Sterling or in Lexington to an enslaved mother, Brown escaped to a life of freedom in 1834. Brown went on to become a public advocate of the abolitionist and temperance movements. His memoir, Narrative of William Wells Brown, a Fugitive Slave, Written by Himself, had a direct influence on the abolitionist movement.

William Wells Brown is portrayed by Virgil Covington, Jr. of Georgetown. Covington received a bachelor of arts in psychology from Wittenberg University, a master’s in education and guidance counseling from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and Rank I in education administration from Eastern Kentucky University. He has been a public school teacher, guidance counselor and principal for more than 35 years and received the Milken National Educator Award in 1999. Covington has been a part of many regional productions including those for Bryan Station High School, Wittenberg University, Woodford Theatre, and the University of Kentucky.

Kentucky Chautauqua is an exclusive presentation of Kentucky Humanities with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and from: Christina Lee Brown, the Carson-Myre Charitable Foundation, and PNC. Kentucky Humanities is a non-profit Kentucky corporation affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information, visit kyhumanities.org or call (859) 257-5932.

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