Good morning, and happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

This year, leading up to the holiday that commemorates Dr. King, I have been reflecting on his legacy here in Louisville, which for me lives on most vividly in the stories of those Louisvillians who got to meet the great orator and leader. Most of what I have learned about Dr. King’s work in Kentucky I absorbed during my research for two Frazier exhibitions: West of Ninth: Race, Reckoning, and Reconciliation and What is a Vote Worth? Suffrage Then and Now. I don’t often set out to research Dr. King specifically, but I often find his story woven into the history of the Commonwealth.

I was surprised to learn Dr. King’s brother, A. D. King, lived in Louisville from 1965 to 1968, and was pastor at Zion Baptist Church. While living in Louisville, A.D. was the leader of the Kentucky Christian Leadership Conference and was active in civil rights campaigns in the city, including the open housing movement. Dr. King visited Kentucky several times in the 1950s and ̓60s, including at least three times while his brother lived in Louisville. It is truly a highlight of my job to talk to people like Charlene Hampton Holloway, who was arrested at the age of twelve for participating in civil rights protests in Louisville and recently loaned us some items for West of Ninth. She told me how impactful it was when she got to meet Dr. King and hear him speak in West Louisville when she was a child.

Perhaps Dr. King’s most well-known visit to Kentucky was in 1964 when he, along with Georgia Davis Powers and Jackie Robinson, led a march of 10,000 Kentuckians on the state Capitol known as the March on Frankfort. A friend of Dr. King, Powers set her brother in charge of picking him up from the airport. In 2019, while borrowing some pieces for What is a Vote Worth?, her brother Lawrence Montgomery told me the story of picking Dr. King up from the airport here in Louisville, driving him to Frankfort, and marching alongside him with his sister.

I am constantly taken aback that I have the opportunity to talk to those who have firsthand accounts of Dr. King and the civil rights movement, a stark reminder that the many advancements that occurred during that time were not so long ago and that there is still so much to fight for.

In this week’s Virtual Frazier Magazine, Mick and Heather tell you about another of Dr. King’s connections to Louisville with the story of Quinn Chapel AME Church. Casey celebrates the birthday of one of Louisville’s own civil rights leaders, Muhammad Ali, Andy talks about the Y-NOW mentoring program, and guest contributor Aukram Burton shares information about an upcoming program at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage.

Have a great week, everyone!

This Week in the Museum

Video: Quinn Chapel AME’s Role in the Civil Rights Movement, 1912 – 67

In Louisville’s Russell neighborhood, at the southwest corner of Ninth and Chestnut Streets, you’ll find Quinn Chapel AME: a monument to some of the most groundbreaking figures and campaigns of the civil rights movement.

It’s not an official monument — in fact, no historic marker announces what took place behind the church’s walls, including the multiple speeches Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave in the 1960s. Its windows are boarded up with plywood.

But a large wooden sign does hint at what’s to come: After twenty years of disuse, the building is now the recipient of over $1 million in federal and city grants, so it’s set to be stabilized and restored.

Established in the early 1910s, Quinn Chapel AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Church quickly became the site of meetings of civil rights groups. In 1914 and 1915, the church served as a mass meeting place for a national organization, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as they pursued legal action against a Louisville segregation ordinance to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The congregation’s history for standing up for the rights of Black Kentuckians goes back to its original foundation as the most famous abolitionist church in Louisville. In between, it hosted protests that led to national desegregation efforts, conferences at which civil rights trailblazers gave keynote speeches, and gatherings of community members and worshipers for generations.

In this video, Brian West delves into the nearly two centuries and counting of Quinn Chapel, a historic church whose congregation has shaped civil rights in both Louisville and the U.S.

How Louisville Reverend Dr. F. G. Sampson Inspired Obama’s “Audacity of Hope”

As we commemorate MLK Day, I want to bring up the name of a minister who lived and preached at Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church in the Russell neighborhood of Louisville from about 1960 to 1971.

His name, Reverend Dr. Frederick G. Sampson, is mentioned by Dr. Kevin Cosby in a book I am reading in preparation for an upcoming program.

From left, Kentucky Governor Edward T. Breathitt, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Kentucky Christian Leadership Conference president Rev. Dr. F. G. Sampson attend a civil rights meeting in Louisville, December 1965. Credit: Thomas V. Miller Jr., *Courier Journal*.

In the reference, Dr. Cosby talks about how Sampson lived down the street from his family, and how Dr. King, who visited Louisville often, idolized Sampson.

I called Dr. Cosby to learn more. He told me the influence of Rev. Sampson lives on in so many ways, through so many who revered him.

He discussed a lecture Sampson gave in the late 1980s on the G. F. Watts painting Hope, a lecture Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the former pastor of President Barack Obama, attended.

Inspired by Rev. Sampson’s lecture, Rev. Wright went on to give a sermon in 1990 based on the subject of the painting. Rev. Wright’s sermon included the phrase “the audacity to hope.”

Obama, who was then a Senator from Illinois, was in the audience listening to Wright.

Obama would later tweak and adopt Wright’s phrase, titling his 2004 Democratic National Convention keynote address “The Audacity of Hope” and his 2006 book The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream.

Born in 1928 in Port Arthur, Texas, Sampson was twice recognized by the magazine Ebony as one of the “Fifteen Greatest Black Preachers in America.” He died in 2001.

When MLK Met Muhammad Ali at a Louisville Hotel, 1967

Today is a very special for both the nation and the city of Louisville. Not only do we celebrate and remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we also have the privilege of celebrating Muhammad Ali, as it would have been his eightieth birthday. These two prolific men had different ideas of the civil rights movement, but they had the common goal that all men should be treated equal no matter their race.

In 1967, King was in Louisville speaking to students at the University of Louisville Law School, but just the day before he had a one-on-one meeting with Muhammad Ali. On March 29, 1967, Ali visited King in his hotel room. The two sat and talked for one-and-a-half hours about the events that were impacting our country, from the civil rights movement to the Vietnam War. Although they took different avenues for civil rights, they had respect for the other, understanding that they were “victims of the same oppression.” When Dr. King was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama, Ali sent a telegram in support, expressing his hope “THAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE [and] NOT SUFFERING.” King would go on to say in a recorded sermon that, “whatever you think of Muhamad’s religious beliefs, you have to admire his courage.”

In remembering both these men today, we should marvel at their courage and conviction.

YMCA Safe Place Services Y-NOW Mentoring Program

In 2007, my second year living in Louisville, I was a young father with two healthy children and a loving wife. Feeling incredibly blessed, I began to look for a way to give back to our community.

While doing an interview anchoring WHAS11’s mid-day show, I learned about the Y-NOW program. It is a mentoring program for youth who have, or have had, an incarcerated parent. Seventy-five percent of those youth also end up in prison. This program is designed to stem the tide.

My intentions were good, albeit my perspective a bit naïve. I thought I was there to provide for young people in need of positive influences.

But through the course of the ten-month program, I got so much more than I gave.

Recently, the program’s director contacted me to ask if the Frazier Museum would donate free admissions to mentors and youth looking for something to do during their weekly interactions. Mentors commit to weekly calls and visits, so they are often looking for places to spend time with the teens. I’m excited to say that one of those places is now the Frazier.

I’m more excited that John, the youth I mentored, is now a successful contributor to our world here in Kentucky: a young father himself, and an overall great guy. If you understood what he had to overcome to get there, you would understand how big of an accomplishment that is. The Y-NOW program deserves much of the credit.

To tell his full story would require more words than I have. John’s father was in prison for murder. He was then killed in the West End a short time after his release in what was described as a deal gone awry. I had to report on that homicide while anchoring the morning news on WHAS11.

To say it was difficult would be an understatement. You see, John still loved his Dad and this was another cruel and crushing reality in what was, at that point, fourteen years of disappointments and lies. This life-saving program showed John another way.

January is National Mentoring Month. If you have the capacity and compassion to mentor, I encourage you to do so.

Many youths in the Louisville community are faced with the difficult challenge of being separated from one or both parents due to incarceration. The YMCA Safe Place Services Y-NOW program addresses this issue with a ten-month mentoring program for youth ages eleven to fifteen that have, or previously had, an incarcerated parent. The program aims to break the cycle of incarceration. Y-NOW promotes positive youth development by cultivating healthy youth-adult relationships. Y-NOW needs motivated and compassionate adult volunteer mentors to support this amazing population of youth. No experience is necessary and training is provided. Please contact Mattie Eubank at (240) 234-1011 or Dionne McCage at (502) 635-4399 to begin the journey to make a difference in the life of a youth. If you would like to learn more, mentor information sessions occur on Tuesday, January 25, at 6 p.m. and Tuesday, February 1, at 6 p.m. To register for a mention information session, please contact Matt Reed at (502) 635-4403. — YMCA Safe Place Services

Museum Store: 1961 Ali Underwater-based Ace of Hearts Lapel Pin

Today would have been the eightieth birthday of Muhammad Ali, the greatest of all time. Celebrate the Champ with two books — Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander and Pocket Bios: Muhammad Ali by Al Berenger — and a lapel pin. Gracing the ace of hearts pin is a drawing of Ali adapted from Ali Underwater, Flip Schulke’s iconic 1961 photograph of the boxer “training” at the bottom of a swimming pool. All of these products are available in the Museum Store.

Western Kentucky Torando Relief for Farmers

Inspired by the Frazier History Museum’s tornado relief fundraising efforts, a local foundation has donated $25,000 to get hay to affected farmers.

On December 16, the Frazier announced a fundraising campaign: From December 16 to 19, museum visitors could make cash or check donations, with all proceeds going to the Western Kentucky Red Cross Tornado Relief Effort to assist those affected by the December 10 and 11 tornadoes; in turn, the Frazier’s staff and board would collectively match the total amount raised. By the end of those four days, visitors and the Frazier had combined for $4,145.

But the biggest impact may have been when a local foundation took notice, and decided to pitch in — with one specific cause in mind: helping farmers.

In the wake of the tornadoes, many Western Kentucky farmers need to replenish the hay, feed, fencing, and equipment they lost. To accommodate the demand, Princeton residents Bradley and Rachel Boyd have turned their horse farm into a de facto farm and feed supply store.

“Rachel and I started brainstorming what people would need: feed for horses, cattle, dogs, and cats; rakes, pitchforks, feeders, buckets, and fencing supplies,” Bradley says. “Within twenty-four hours, my neighbor Don Campbell, who is a Thoroughbred owner and trainer, and I had talked to Chauncey Morris at the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and Laura Wohler with Gallery Racing, who will get you anything you need… I think we helped people in nine different counties.”

Thanks to a $25,000 donation from the foundation, the Frazier has purchased 300 bales of hay from Shelby County farmers and arranged for them to be delivered to the Boyds’ farm. A truck driver from the Frazier’s neighbors at Mercer Transportation Co., located two blocks west of the museum on Main Street, has been delivering the bales in a series of eight trips.

Anyone who would like to contribute by donating hay to affected farmers should contact Rachel Fowlkes Boyd at (270) 719-1035.

Staff Pick

West of Ninth Eats: The Table

As part of our “West of Ninth” exhibition, we wanted to go west and explore, taking time to visit local restaurants, coffee shops, and breweries. Each month, we will showcase a place our staff members have visited. We hope you will visit, too!

It’s the new year, and you know what that means: new restaurants to try! Last Thursday, January 13, I visited The Table, a pay-what-you-can café in West Louisville’s Portland neighborhood. Located only a few minutes from the Frazier, The Table proved a convenient choice for this week’s foodie installment.

The education team was particularly busy last week, so I knew I wanted a delicious (but quick!) meal that wouldn’t take me offsite for too long. And spoiler alert: The Table delivered.

I ordered my food online and scheduled a 1:15 p.m. curbside pickup. When the time rolled around, I drove a whole five minutes west to retrieve my order. I called the café, and they had my food ready almost immediately. The entire process was smooth, and their website is incredibly organized.

Once I got back to the Frazier, it was time to feast! I ordered roasted squash falafel, parmesan fries, and snickers peanut butter pie. (I was so pleased with their vegetarian options!) In my true nature, I ate everything so quickly that I failed to take a photo. However, take my word for it — this meal was phenomenal.

French onion grilled cheese. Credit: The Table.

In addition to serving great food, they have a wonderful mission: “to provide a restaurant that serves locally grown food with amazing taste, at an affordable price, where all can enjoy the flavor of community.” They accomplish this in a few ways. For example, they have various payment modalities. You can pay in volunteer service hours at the restaurant, what you can afford to pay, or the full amount of the suggested meal price. They also have options for you to “pay it forward” for other customers who visit.

Needless to say, I highly recommend visiting The Table for locally grown food with a heart for the Louisville community.

Visit their website to learn more about their social mission, to volunteer, or to place an order.

Also, check out their Facebook page for photos of their delicious meals.

Happy new year and happy eating!

History All Around Us

Songbird of the South: The Real Mary Ann Fisher Story

The Frazier History Museum is proud to be part of the Unfiltered Truth Collection, partnering with several other attractions that offer immersive experiences celebrating the impact of African American contributions to our history, heritage, and culture as a city. The Frazier’s experience centers on Bourbon, but the Collection offers experiences tied to a wide variety of subjects. Take a look at the upcoming program the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage is offering. — Rachel Platt, Director of Community Engagement

The Kentucky Center for African American Heritage (KCAAH) presents Songbird of the South: The Real Mary Ann Fisher Story, the first in The Soul of Walnut Street Experience Series. This one-woman show will be performed by Louisville’s Edu-tainer Marjorie Marshall, who was mentored by Mary Ann Fisher for eighteen years until Fisher’s passing on March 12, 2004.

Songbird of the South tells a compelling story that chronicles Fisher’s life from her tragic and traumatic childhood in Henderson, Kentucky. In 1941, her destiny begins to change when she wins a talent contest singing at the Lyric Theatre on Walnut Street in Louisville. Her victory earns her the name “Song Bird of the South.” She becomes a popular local talent around Louisville. She ascends to become one of the first talented singers whose life and art get professionally and personally intertwined with the legendary Ray Charles. But her story continues after she leaves the Ray Charles Band: Her voice lands her gigs with legends like Marvin Gaye, B.B. King, James Brown, Hank Crawford, Jackie Wilson, Percy Sledge, and Bobby Bland.

The staging for the series is a replica of Your Valet Shop, a once-popular one-stop barbering and tailoring shop with a seven-seat shoeshine stand, manicuring tables, and a pool room. The shop was a business anchor located on Sixth and Walnut Streets, once owned by the late Edward “Hamp” and Amy Hamilton, the parents of renowned Louisville sculptor Ed Hamilton. Your Valet Shop was located next door to the Lyric Theatre, where Mary Ann Fisher’s journey began, marking one of the most important African American achievement stories in Louisville, Kentucky. During the Jim Crow period that legalized racial segregation in the South — in the 1930s, ̓40s, and ̓50s — Walnut Street was a vibrant and thriving part of Louisville.

Songbird of the South will be performed February 25, 2022, at 7:00 p.m., at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, 1701 West Muhammad Ali Boulevard.

The ticket price is $20. Tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite.

For more information, please contact Marjorie Marshall, visitor experience coordinator at KCAAH, at (502) 271-9228 or lifeteacher1350@gmail.com.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, seating capacity will be limited to seventy-five. In addition, proof of vaccination and masks will be required.

In Memoriam: WWII Veterans Pedro Carrillo and Art Raderer

Pedro Carrillo (front row, second from right) and Art Raderer (back row, third from right) pose with other veterans at the Frazier’s “Saluting our Veterans: The 80th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor” program, December 7, 2021. Credit: Honor Flight Bluegrass.

Two of the twenty-five heroes in this photo — taken last month at the Frazier Museum — are no longer with us.

Pedro Carrillo, who was both a World War II and Korean War veteran, was ninety-five years old. He had recently attended the Frazier Museum’s December 7 program commemorating the eightieth anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

If you ever had the good fortune to talk with Carrillo, you know he was a delight. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1943, barely seventeen years old, and fought many battles against the Japanese in the Pacific Theater, including at Iwo Jima.

Carrillo is the second attendee of the program we’ve lost, the first being Art Raderer, who passed away December 13 at age 103.

Raderer joined the U.S. Army and served in the Pacific during World War II, along with his two brothers.

The Frazier’s ceremony was his last public outing.

So few members of the Greatest Generation are still with us. Make sure that, when you have the chance to meet them and thank them, you do.

Rachel Platt
Director of Community Engagement

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