Women

Mildred Bradley is a retired worker at the South Louisville Shops. She was among a large group of women hired by the L&N Railroad during World War II. Main topics: Early life and jobs before employment with L&N; early working years at the L&N (good description of cleaning diesels and working with brick masons); postwar years; unionization and the importance for women; 1955 strike observations and experiences; limitations on women workers who continued to work at the South Louisville shops; background on International Brotherhood of Firemen and Oilers; special tools and aspects of Mildred Bradley's work; work experiences of father, Jess Davis; reflections on race relations in Kentucky and on the L&N Railroad. Wrap-up: comments on work including examples of how she dug the pits under the diesels and other heavy machines, and more explanation concerning union activities and records; reflections on what might have been if times had been different and compliments paid to Ms. Bradley.

Brennan grew up in Jefferson County and lived in various parts of Louisville throughout her life. She attended Holy Cross School from first to fourth grade and then St. Benedict's from fifth to eighth grade. She later attended Loretta High School. Marian had two older brothers, Louis Bertran Brennan Jr. and Charles Matthew Brennan, who both served in World War II. Her parents were both born and raised in Louisville, and her mother worked as a sewing machine operator during the war. Marian recalls her family's experiences during the war, including air raid drills, ration books, and her brothers' military service. She also discusses her family's religious practices as Catholics and their political views as Democrats.

Briggs discusses her education at the University of Kentucky School of Law, her career in private practice with her husband in Flora, Indiana, and her family life as a wife and mother of two.

Her activities in the League of Women Voters.

An interview with an attorney at law about surrogate parenting. A transcript is available.

Highland Woman's Club history.

Tia Brown grew up in the Newburg neighborhood and currently resides in Fern Creek. She shared memories of Newburg from her childhood and the history she’s researched of the neighborhood. She worked for a time as a real estate agent in Maryland and compared it to the housing situation in Kentucky.

Veterans History Project

Bryant discusses her childhood in Detroit, Michigan, where her father was involved in fair housing work. The interview also includes recollections of her education at a private girls' school in Washington, D.C. and at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she received an AB in history; her move to Louisville with her husband, a physician; her work with the West End Community Council; and involvement with the Black Six conspiracy trial.

Civil rights activist Ruth Bryant (1923-2013) speaks about her childhood and family history growing up in Detroit; her move to Louisville and observations about housing available to Black Louisvillians; how she became interested in and active in the open housing movement; her work with Committee on Community Development oversaw all federal funding that came into Louisville and how it was dispersed; and her involvement with other organizations such as the West End Community Council, Head Start, Citizens' Advisory Committee under the Urban Renewal Program, Black Unity League of Kentucky, and Women United for Social Action. She also talks about her arrest at open housing demonstrations and her memories of the 1968 Parkland Uprising. She mentions but does not speak at length about being one of the "Black Six," a group of Black Louisvillians accused of inciting rebellion during the 1968 Parkland Uprising and charged with conspiracy to destroy property and to blow up West End chemical plants.