A new installation honoring the life and legacy of Moneta Sleet Jr. will be unveiled April 16 at the park named in his honor in Owensboro. The project features six outdoor story panels that chronicle Sleet’s journey from his early days in Owensboro to his Pulitzer Prize-winning photography career.
Sleet, a photojournalist and the first Black American to win a Pulitzer Prize for journalism, is best known for his powerful images of the Civil Rights Movement, including the iconic photo of Coretta Scott King at her husband’s funeral.
Organizers said the goal of the panel project is to ensure everyone in Owensboro knows Sleet’s name and is proud of the global legacy he left behind.
“We really wanted to make the story panels appropriate for all ages, especially children, because Sleet’s story is inspirational,” said Emmy Woosley, a member of the Through Sleet’s Eyes Festival Committee. “He photographed some of the most pivotal people and moments in American history.”
The story panels will be placed together at Moneta Sleet Jr. Park on the corner of Walnut and 7th streets. They were developed in collaboration with the Greater Owensboro Chamber Young Professionals’ Community Development Committee and printed by Tim Velotta of Velotta Designs. Funding was provided by the Public Life Foundation of Owensboro.
The six panels focus on different phases of Sleet’s life:
- Early life in Owensboro
- Education at Kentucky State and service in the military
- Celebrity photography and civil rights work
- Pulitzer-winning photograph
- Sleet’s family
- His enduring legacy
The project was more than two years in the making and includes photographs from Sleet’s family and archives from Johnson Publishing and the Getty collection. One of Woosley’s favorite panels includes a candid photo taken by Sleet’s friend and fellow photographer Ozier Muhammad in New York, showing Sleet with his cameras.
Jared Revlett, who led the project as chair of the Community Development Committee, said the initiative stemmed from a desire to add to Sleet’s legacy at the park.
“Once the park was renamed for him, we thought this was a great way to help people learn more about who he was and what he accomplished,” Revlett said. “These signs are made to last. They’re going to be really impressive.”
The Through Sleet’s Eyes Festival, which previously took place in 2023 and 2024, is planning its next event for February 2026.
