Summary:
This interview covers Dorsey's childhood and teen years in Sheppard Square housing. Dorsey connects his career in community organizing to his childhood experiences. He recalls an abundance of playmates and play activities. Dorsey shares a strong appreciation for the history of Smoketown and a pride in his family's roots there. He recalls feeling safe despite criminal activity in the neighborhood and a short-lived epsiode in which he was recruited to sell drugs. He talks about benefits and detriments of living in a compact and isolated neighborhood. He specifically credits his mother, mentors at Bates Memorial Baptist Church and at the Presbyterian Communityi Center with instilling in him a belief in his potential.
Topic(s):
Sheppard Square (Housing project : Louisville, Ky.), Louisville Metropolitan Housing Authority (Louisville, Ky.), Smoketown (Louisville, Ky.), African American neighborhoods � Kentucky � Louisville, Presbyterian Community Center (Louisville, Ky.), Childhood development, Public housing � Kentucky � Louisville, Housing authorities � Kentucky � Louisville
