Civil rights lawyers

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.

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.

Friedman began working with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kentucky in 1983 as a volunteer cooperating attorney. A year later (1984), Friedman became the group’s general counsel and served in that position for 25 years often taking the lead on cases that dealt with reproductive freedom, separation of church and state, freedom of speech and other civil liberties issues. In 2005, he successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of the ACLU of Kentucky that the display of the Ten Commandments in a courthouse violated constitutional principles. Friedman talks about his great pride in the ACLU’s mission, a genuine and personal passion for the legal work, the importance of educating the public on civil liberties and how media relations played a role in that work. He also discusses how Kentucky’s politics and culture have placed it on front line of efforts to protect reproductive freedom and the separation of church and state.

Everett Hoffman, a lawyer and former executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kentucky, discusses his career and the organization's work. Born in New Orleans and raised in various parts of the U.S., Hoffman returned to Louisville, Kentucky, for his first lawyer position with the Legal Aid Society in 1983. He joined the ACLU during law school and became its executive director in 1992. Hoffman discusses the ACLU's work on social justice issues, including police misconduct, the death penalty, and reproductive freedom. He also talks about the organization's defense of free speech, even for groups like the KKK, and its efforts to reflect Kentucky's diversity. Hoffman left the ACLU in 1999.

This is the second interview with Jessica Loving for this organizational history project. The previous interview was conducted by Mary Pace on March 2, 2011, and is often referenced in the 2013 interview. The 2011 interview and a full transcript are on deposit at the Oral History Center of the University of Louisville. In this second interview, Loving revisits some of the same themes from her first interview: reproductive freedom, separation of church and state, and free speech. Loving also describes her role as a supporter, staff person and board member with the ACLU. In her discussion of specific events or cases, Loving offers an insider’s perspective on the actions of the time and how the scope of civil liberties has expanded over the course of nearly five decades, particularly in issues dealing with the rights of women and LGBT persons.

Sedler was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1935 and moved to Lexington, Kentucky in 1966 to become a professor at the University of Kentucky. He was raised in a liberal, Jewish household and was interested in politics from a young age. Sedler was involved in many high-profile civil rights cases, including the desegregation of schools in Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky. He also represented conscientious objectors during the Vietnam War. Sedler believes that his work with the ACLU has had a positive impact on civil liberties in the United States.

Zingman discusses his background, including his education and decision to pursue law. He also talks about his service in the military during World War II. Zingman shares his experiences working on civil rights issues, including his involvement with the ACLU and his work in the South during the 1960s. He worked as a lawyer, primarily focusing on libel defense for the Louisville Courier-Journal and defending reporters' rights. He was involved in several high-profile cases, including the Branzburg case and the New York Times v. Sullivan case. He also represented the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in supporting civil rights activists in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama. Additionally, he was a founding member of the Kentucky Civil Liberties Union (KCLU) and served as its first president.