“If you want to know where your heart is, look to where your mind goes when it wanders.” ~ Walt Whitman
Miss Yvonne
This is Yvonne Giles. BFF Reinette Jones introduced me to her many years ago when she needed information about one of our Kentucky newspapers. I’ve had the pleasure to interact with her professionally several times since then. Both Reinette and Yvonne are involved in Kentucky African American history; Reinette tends to focus on the Notable Kentucky African American database (NKAA), while Yvonne devotes her time to caring for African Cemetery No. 2 in Lexington and several other historically significant Central Kentucky efforts. Reinette’s entry for Yvonne in the NKAA says, “Yvonne Giles is also known as the ‘Cemetery Lady’ because she is one of the leaders in the effort to preserve the history and integrity of African American cemeteries in Lexington. She has received numerous awards for her work and dedication to history in general and African American history specifically.” I often run into Yvonne at various Bluegrass Trust for Preservation events, but more recently I’ve been invited to cover some of the important events she is part of, like the recent Phoenix Rising soiree. Yvonne is also very involved in the Lewis and Harriet Hayden memorial at Limestone and Fourth Street. You can read more about the Haydens and efforts to recognize the Underground Railroad in Lexington at Freedom Train Project, where Yvonne serves as historian. So, while those details describe her current profession, from a friend’s perspective, she is so warm in spirit and heart. She’s soft-spoken, extremely kind, and always smiling. She doesn’t have a resting bitch face, and if she does, it still looks like she’s smiling, so who would know? She’s also wicked smart and extremely thoughtful in all she does. I’ve come to value her opinion and friendship a great deal, and enjoy every conversation we have. Lexington is incredibly lucky to have her adding her voice to our collective history. We are all lucky to have her in this world.
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