Civil rights

Adlene Howard Abstain (b. 1943 in Montgomery, Alabama, d. 2015, in Louisville, Kentucky) describes her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement through voter registration efforts, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Freedom Rides, fair housing efforts, work as a pastor at The Fountain of Life Word and Worship Center, and community organization in Louisville.

Bill Allison, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, acted as an appeals attorney for one of the Black Six defendants, Ruth Bryant. The Black Six were a group of five men and one woman who were prosecuted for inciting rebellion during the Parkland Uprising of 1968. Allison also represented the Black Panthers in Louisville and in Memphis, Tennessee. In this interview, Allison speaks about cases he was involved in involving government repression and retaliation against Civil Rights activists and how he became involved in that work through the Southern Conference Educational Fund, serving as SCEF's lawyer from 1969 to 1974.

A retired bishop of the AME Zion Church, the Rev. Felix Anderson discusses his childhood in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Boston, Mass.; his childhood and college education at Livingston College, an AME Zion school in Wilmington, from which he graduated in 1920; seminary training at Hood Theological School and Western Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; various pastorates and teaching experiences; coming to Louisville in 1948 as pastor of Broadway Temple AME Zion; entering local politics and his election to the Kentucky General Assembly, where he served from 1954 to 1960; and recollections of civil rights work in Alabama during the 1960s.

Mervin Aubespin (b. 1937 in Louisiana), a reporter for the Courier-Journal, talks about his path to the Civil Rights movement starting in Alabama and then in Louisville; Louisville during segregation; housing discrimination; and white flight. As an activist, Aubespin participated in marches, sit-ins, voter registration and organization for public accommodation, open housing, and to integrate Fontaine Ferry. Aubespin was originally hired by the Courier-Journal an artist, one of the first Black employees there. He covered the Parkland Uprising but did not get a byline or credit for his work. He then attended an intensive program at Columbia University to produce Black journalists and had a successful career as a reporter for the Courier-Journal, specializing in covering topics of interest to the Black community. Regarded as an expert on racism and the media, Aubespin is a past president of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and was given the Ida B. Wells Award for his efforts to bring minorities into the field of journalism. Aubespin was also the founder of the Louisville Association of Black Communicators.

Louisville journalist and civil rights activist Mervin Aubespin talks about his days as a student at Iowa, his brief stint as a middle school shop teacher, and his time as an active member in civil rights protests including those outside department stores which did not allow Black people to try on clothes. He then earned a position at the Courier-Journal, first on the art team and then as associate journalist and chief recruiter. This work allowed him to travel to many places. Merv also discusses his involvement with the Louisville Art Workshop. He identifies as an artist who incorporated painting into a life full of other responsibilities including work and family.

Henlee Barnette talks about his experiences witnessing racism and acting as an advocate for racial equality. He formed Clergy for Open Housing and participated in civil rights marches. He talks about the Southern Baptist involvement in civil rights, particularly in Louisville, Kentucky.

Goldie Beckett discusses her life as well as her husband's experiences as alderman in the city of Louisville in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Mrs. Beckett briefly describes her early life and education, including her graduation from Kentucky State College. Mrs. Beckett had a career in education, but also worked with her husband, and for her brother, in the undertaking business in Louisville. She speaks of the Walnut Street area before Urban Renewal. Mrs. Beckett's husband, William Washington Beckett, was elected alderman in 1951 and served until 1961. In this time, he played a role in the integration of the fire and police departments, the parks, and public accommodations, and in developing a Human Relations Commission. Mrs. Beckett discusses her husband's contributions and the civil rights movement in general (both in Louisville and more generally) and gives her opinion on the roles of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the African American church.

Robert Benson (b. 1942 in Lousville), Louisville lawyer and former Kentucky legislator, speaks about his experiences with the Civil Rights Movement and some of its leaders in Louisville. Topics include how he became aware of prejudice in the community and got involved with the Open Housing movement; the demonstrations for Open Housing; his experiences representing the Hikes Point/Highlands district from 1974-1980; his friendship with ACLU lawyer Thomas Hogan, who filed the lawsuit that lead to desegregation efforts in Louisville; the passing of laws merging Jefferson County school districts; the passing of laws to desegregate the resulting combined school district; and the backlash and demonstrations against desegregation and busing.

Civil Rights movement in Louisville

Native Louisvillian Norbert L. Blume (1922-2011) speaks about his career in labor and Kentucky politics. Topics include: became aware of prejudice in WWII in the service; getting involved with the labor movement and became a leader of the Teamsters; his work in the Kentucky General Assembly from 1963 to 1968; running for Congress in 1964 and 1966; being Speaker of the House in the Kentucky General Assembly; introducing and passing of public accommodations legislation (the "Blume Bill") and a student-led hunger strike in its support; Democratic party involvement and campaigns; activities of the Kentucky Civil Liberties Union, of which he was a founder; work on a Kentucky Equal Rights Amendment; and his colleagues in labor and civil rights work.