Friday, March 27, 2026, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Hildreth-Mirza Hall, 101/102 – Great Room
A conversation with Dave Butcher, the founder and director of the Tablertown, OH, People of Color Museum
When he was ten years old living in rural southeast Ohio community called Tablertown, David Butcher received a tin-type photo of his great-great-grandfather, Jerry Sims, and heard stories about Mr. Sims being a Civil War veteran. From that moment forward, Butcher was inspired to learn more about his family lineage and to preserve his community’s history and culture. In 2003, he curated an exhibit on Black life in the Ohio River Valley for the Kennedy Museum of Art at Ohio University.
Because of the popularity of the exhibit, Butcher established the Tablertown People of Color Museum in a pole barn next to his home. Since then, he has established a 501(c)3, developed plans to build a new museum in Tablertown, and received numerous awards for his work, most recently earning his honorary doctorate from Ohio University in 2024.
Dr. Butcher will share stories about his community’s history, his work, and his vision for the Tablertown People of Color Museum.
