Charles W. Anderson, Louisville, KY
Mr. Anderson was Kentucky’s first African American legislator, and the first African American lawmaker in the South since reconstruction.
Henry E. Baker, Winchester, KY
Mr. Baker was the first African American elected to serve on the Winchester Board of Commissioners, and he served as Vice-Mayor in 1980.
Edward Breathitt, Jr., Lexington, KY
Gov. Breathitt was elected as the Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1963. He signed the Kentucky Civil Rights Act into law in 1966.
William H. Childress, Louisville, KY
Mr. Childress sponsored legislation in the KY House of Representa-tives which led to the creation of the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights.
C. Marcellus Clay, Richmond, KY
Mr. Clay worked with John G. Fee to establish Berea College. He gave Mr. Fee the land and $200 to build a church school that would accept students without regard to race, creed or sex.
Rev. Louis Coleman, Louisville, KY
Rev. Coleman was a civil rights activist in Jefferson county from his early years. He was instrumental in winning a lawsuit that challenged the lack of African American coaches in Kentucky high school sports.
J. Earl Dearing, Louisville, KY
Mr. Dearing represented the NAACP, the Integration Steering Committee of Louisville, and private citizens in challenging segregation in Louisville’s theatres, restaurants and hotels.
Anthony H. Deye, Covington, KY
Father Deye spent his life struggling against racial injustice and for civil rights for African Americans in Northern Kentucky. He fought to recruit more African American students into Catholic schools.
Leonard Gray, Louisville, KY
Mr. Gray was the Special Assistant to the Governor for Minority Affairs. He assisted minorities in securing state contracts and employment. He also assisted minority business development in the state.
Wardelle G. Harvey, Sr., Paducah, KY
Rev. Harvey led a demonstration of African Americans who attempted to enter a KKK meeting in Paducah. He served as the first African American on the Paducah housing board.
Lyman T. Johnson, Louisville, KY
Mr. Johnson broke color barriers as the first African American to attend classes at the University of Kentucky in 1949. As a teacher at Central High School in Louisville, he became the most vocal public school teacher denouncing discrimination and being involved in issues concerning minorities.
Mae Street Kidd, Louisville, KY
Ms. Kidd sponsored legislation to name Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday as a state holiday. She served the 41st legislative district in the KY House of Representatives from 1968-1984.
Charles E. Kirby, Louisville, KY
An active participant in the 1967 open housing marches with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rev. A.D. King and others. Mr. Kirby’s work along with the efforts of others led to the passage of the KY Fair Housing Act.
Galen Martin, Louisville, KY
Mr. Martin was the first Executive Director of the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights where he served for twenty-eight years. As Executive Director, he was instrumental in the passage of the KY Civil Rights Act and the first Fair Housing Act in the South, and in obtaining more public housing desegregation than any other region in the country.
Albert Meyzeek, Louisville, KY
Mr. Meyzeek spearheaded drives to desegregate Louisville General Hospital’s nursing school and Louisville’s public libraries. His investigation of poor housing for African Americans led to the creation of Louisville’s Urban League, where he served as Chair for 29 years.
Donald E. Owsley, Owensboro, KY
Mr. Owsley promoted human and civil rights through various organizations. He volunteered numerous hours on behalf of the poor, minorities, elderly, women and economically disadvan-taged citizens of Owensboro.
Georgia Davis Powers, Louisville, KY
Ms. Powers was Kentucky’s first African American to hold a seat in the KY State Senate. She sponsored civil rights legislation prohibiting employment, sex and age discrimination, and she introduced state-wide fair housing legislation.
Frank Stanley, Louisville, KY
Mr. Stanley drafted the 1950 legislation that led to the desegregation of Kentucky’s colleges and universities. He obtained political support for the law that created the KY Commission on Human Rights in 1960.
Arthur Walters, Prospect, KY
Mr. Walters was a central force in securing fair treatment and civil rights for African Americans. He was the first African American member in the Louisville Rotary Club (1969). He was a bridge-builder among ethnic, racial and religious groups as Executive Director of the Louisville Urban League.
David O. Welch, Ashland, KY
Mr. Welch made a life-long commitment to civil rights in Kentucky. He was a Commissioner for the KY commission on Human Rights for almost 15 years, during which time he also served as Chair. He was instrumental in establishing the Ashland Commission on Human Rights.
Atwood Wilson, Louisville, KY
Mr. Wilson introduced the resolution that abolished segregation at the Louisville Main Library. He was the first African American appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Louisville Free Public Library. The Lucy Hart Smith-Atwood S. Wilson Award for Civil & Human Rights in Education was established in 1974 by the KY Education Association in his honor.
Whitney Young, Jr., Lincoln Ridge, KY
Mr. Young intensified his call for the end of segregation and discrimination by establishing programs for the African American community that improved race relations. He was the recipient of the highest civilian award, the Medal of Freedom. It was presented to him by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1969.