Busing

Mr. Hammond, a small business owner and real estate agent, discusses his childhood, education and life as a young adult living and working in Louisville. He talks about being a small business owner, the impact of urban renewal on the black business district, Small Business Administration loans, and his belief in the potential of young people in his community. He describes the opportunities of black real estate agents, talks about busing, gives his views on affordable housing for low-income families and concludes the interview with a discussion of his desire for greater participation by African Americans in community development.

Hawkins, a former principal of Warner Junior High School describes inner city public schools in Louisville during the 1970s. As a school counselor during the 1970s she discusses the duties of teaching staff and the school board in building good school environments.

As reporter for the Louisville Times Hill describes the anti-busing sentiment in Louisville while he was assigned the police beat during desegregation in the 1970s.

Former county judge describes political and legal issues of school desegregation in Jefferson County.

City school board member during busing litigation describes the process of school integration in Louisville.

A parent involved in school desegregation plan describes her experience as a member of the Human Relations Network coordinated during the merger of school systems in Louisville.

Staff member of the Jefferson County School System of 1975 remembers her position as president of the state PTA board and member of the Community and Human Relations department during school integration.

Galen Martin, the executive director of the Kentucky Human Rights Commission, discusses the history of school desegregation in Louisville, Kentucky. Martin explains that he joined the commission in 1961 and had previously worked on school desegregation in Knoxville, Tennessee. He discusses the initial efforts to desegregate schools in Louisville in the 1950s, which were initially successful but later stalled. Martin criticizes the lack of teacher desegregation during this period. He also discusses the legal battles over school desegregation in the 1970s, including the role of the Kentucky Human Rights Commission in supporting a lawsuit that sought to merge the city and county school systems. Martin praises the leadership of Judge James F. Gordon in implementing a desegregation plan and criticizes local political leaders for not providing enough support. He also discusses the impact of desegregation on student achievement and housing patterns in Louisville.

An interview with Louisville politician Lois Morris.

Mrs. Morrison had a 25-year career in public education. She worked solely for Jefferson County, Kentucky school system. Mrs. Morrison spent 15 years in the classroom, five years as an instructional coordinator, and five years as a staff development specialist. She started teaching in 1961, twenty years after high school, after her children were in older. She taught chemistry and physics in Fern Creek High School. Morrison admits to "classroom burnout" and she was pleased to have a different position to move on to in 1975. She took a job as an instructional cooridnator and worked at Male High School, Central High School, and the Brown School. This position was part of a federally-funded program called the Emergency School Assistance Act. Her role was to work with students and teachers in a human relations capacity. Morrison recalls the challenges presented because of court-ordered busing and mergers of the city and and county school systems. For the latter 5 years of her career she worked in an administrative position as a staff development specialist; this position involved staff training in workshop and in-service settings.