Summary:
Dr. Rabb discusses his early life and education in Mississippi. He speaks of his experiences as a student at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, comparing race relations in his hometown to those in Nashville. He also discusses student activism at Fisk while he was a student. He describes his medical education at Meharry Medical College, and his internship at Kansas City General Hospital Number 2, the segregated public hospital for blacks in Kansas City, Missouri. Dr. Rabb practiced in Shelbyville, Kentucky from 1930 to 1946, and he discusses his practice there, including his relationships with the white physicians in town. Rabb left Shelbyville for Louisville, and he discusses the difficulties that led him to make that move. He talks about his move to Louisville and the support (in the form of office space) he received from Dr. C. Milton Young, Jr. He goes on to discuss his work at Red Cross Hospital, and how he came to be the first African American admitted for post-graduate training at Louisville General Hospital. He describes other areas of integration, including the University of Louisville and its athletic programs. He talks about his leadership role in Louisville's Human Relations Commission, particularly in the area of integrating the police force. He describes his own encounters with racism, the changes he's seen over time, and his role in the sit-ins in Louisville in 1960. He also talks about the integration of public housing. He notes that his proudest achievement is his involvement with the NAACP; he was also a founder of the Kentucky Civil Liberties Union.
Topic(s):
African Americans--Kentucky--Louisville, African American physicians, African Americans--Hospitals, African Americans--Social conditions, African Americans--Education, Segregation in education, African Americans--Medical care, Hospitals, Medical education, Race relations, Civil rights, Segregation, Discrimination in housing, Housing, Police, University of Louisville, Meharry Medical College, Fisk University, Red Cross Hospital (Louisville, Ky.), General Hospital No. 2 (Kansas City, Mo.), Louisville and Jefferson County Human Relations Commission, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963, Young, C. Milton, 1899-1984
