Shirley Kinsey | |
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![]() Kinsey in 2016 | |
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Education |
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Spouse | Bernard Kinsey |
Shirley Kinsey (née Pooler; born February 7, 1946) is a Los Angeles-based philanthropist, art collector, and former school teacher known, along with husband Bernard and son Khalil, as the owner of Kinsey Collection, one of the largest private collections of African-American history and art in the world.
Shirley was born to Erma and Eddie Pooler on February 7, 1946, in Lake City, Florida. [1] She attended university at Florida A&M University, where she met Bernard Kinsey, her future husband, following her arrest at a civil rights protest. [2] She graduated with a degree in English in 1967. [1] Shirley and Bernard married the same year and set a goal of travelling the world together. [3] The couple was married in Tallahassee at the First Baptist Institutional Church, followed by a reception in the faculty lounge at the university. [4] Following graduation she was hired as a teacher with the Compton Unified School District. [1] She later returned to school, graduating in 1976 from Pepperdine University with a master's degree in multi-cultural education. [1]
Shirley and Bernard began collecting art as a way of documenting their travels. [5] [6] Realizing they knew little of their own history and culture, the couple began collecting African-American art, literature and manuscripts eventually amassing one of the largest private collections in the world. [7] Their collecting expanded following the birth of their son Khalil as a way of documenting where he came from outside of narratives focused on slavery. [2] Pieces from their collection has toured extensively across the United States since 2006. [3] The collection was exhibited internationally for the first time in 2016 in Hong Kong. [7] Khalil Kinsey works closely with his parents having served as chief operating officer and curator of collection and as vice president of the Bernard and Shirley Kinsey Foundation. [8] The Kinsey family and their collection were featured on Episode 26 of the podcast This Is Love in 2020. [9]
Shirley Kinsey | |
---|---|
![]() Kinsey in 2016 | |
Born | |
Education |
|
Spouse | Bernard Kinsey |
Shirley Kinsey (née Pooler; born February 7, 1946) is a Los Angeles-based philanthropist, art collector, and former school teacher known, along with husband Bernard and son Khalil, as the owner of Kinsey Collection, one of the largest private collections of African-American history and art in the world.
Shirley was born to Erma and Eddie Pooler on February 7, 1946, in Lake City, Florida. [1] She attended university at Florida A&M University, where she met Bernard Kinsey, her future husband, following her arrest at a civil rights protest. [2] She graduated with a degree in English in 1967. [1] Shirley and Bernard married the same year and set a goal of travelling the world together. [3] The couple was married in Tallahassee at the First Baptist Institutional Church, followed by a reception in the faculty lounge at the university. [4] Following graduation she was hired as a teacher with the Compton Unified School District. [1] She later returned to school, graduating in 1976 from Pepperdine University with a master's degree in multi-cultural education. [1]
Shirley and Bernard began collecting art as a way of documenting their travels. [5] [6] Realizing they knew little of their own history and culture, the couple began collecting African-American art, literature and manuscripts eventually amassing one of the largest private collections in the world. [7] Their collecting expanded following the birth of their son Khalil as a way of documenting where he came from outside of narratives focused on slavery. [2] Pieces from their collection has toured extensively across the United States since 2006. [3] The collection was exhibited internationally for the first time in 2016 in Hong Kong. [7] Khalil Kinsey works closely with his parents having served as chief operating officer and curator of collection and as vice president of the Bernard and Shirley Kinsey Foundation. [8] The Kinsey family and their collection were featured on Episode 26 of the podcast This Is Love in 2020. [9]