Black History: Higher Education for African-Americans in Louisville

As a Louisville native, I am honored to be a part of the city in Kentucky that holds the most ties to black history. From housing laws to education, Louisville illustrates a history that defines the advancement of African-American students and families. It’s interesting to know that the State of Kentucky had no intention in supplying higher education for African-American students, yet various communities felt otherwise. I did some research and found information that lead to higher education. In 1874, a separate state system of commons schools was created by the Kentucky General Assembly and in 1891, Kentucky legalized segregated public education.  It wasn’t until 1920 that community members faced challenges of being associated with the University of Louisville.

The city of Louisville had a municipal bond issue related to not giving African-American students the opportunity to attend an institution. Two-thirds affirmative vote was required in order to pass this bond. It was evident that Louisville officials within the city and of the predominately white institution did not consider discussing efforts with African-American leaders. At this time, segregation in the American society was unchanging. Outraged, people fought for equality and stressed that taxes from the African-American community should not be used to fund the higher education of only whites. They wanted an institution that reflected their desire in developing collectively and individually working towards a brighter future. The bond was unsuccessful and demonstrated the power of the black vote. By 1925, a new bond was passed and the University of Louisville promised to establish an institution solely for African-Americans.

In February of 1931, the Louisville Municipal College for Negroes (LMC) was founded and opened to students of color who sought to be great. It served as a separate higher education institution set on the principles of black pride and excellence. The University of Louisville’s Board of Trustees administered the separate institution seeing as it was a purchase made to ensure their promise. Imagine sitting in a classroom with students just like yourself. Colored students with common career goals and hopes of graduating. Back then, it was empowering to know an institution was granted to African-American students towards bettering themselves and earning a degree that would be extremely beneficial. From 1931 to 1951, the LMC offered a four-year liberal arts curriculum and progressed in providing a prestigious library, a student center, sororities and fraternities, and a campus newspaper. The establishment was successful in graduating more than 500 African-American students.

The LMC closed in 1951 and the University of Louisville chose to desegregate their Belknap campus along with their professional and graduate schools. Though this decision was made, segregation continued through everyday experiences of attending class and becoming a part of the University’s community. Every generation attending the University of Louisville had their wave of African-American students attempting to create a positive status once enrolled. From on-campus marches against the acts of the administration to establishing links between politics and social justice, African-American students found ways to be involved and make the importance of their education known.

Paying homage to the late Dr. J. Blaine Hudson, we remember the efforts made by him to unite African-American students as they enrolled into the University of Louisville. He developed the Black Student Union in 1968, an on-campus organization influenced by the nationally known Panther Party and the Black Power Movement. Hudson defines a movement as such: “…a movement is more like a loosely defined network that it is a big formal organization with dues and by-laws and a building…”. He did just that in the networking of trying to begin the Black Student Union on other universities and even in local high schools. The Black Student Union shared with the public a newsletter and a tutoring program for West End centers. Hudson shares: “ …You’ve go to do more than talk about the ways in which a society should be changed, you’ve got to get involved in changing it.” The founding of this organization and many others on the University of Louisville’s campus illustrates the history behind change.

The Late Dr. J. Blaine Hudson

Today, the Louisville Municipal College for Negroes is remembered as the starting point for colored Louisville natives with a passion for learning and advancing in life. The University of Louisville has become more diverse then ever before. I am proud of be a Louisville Cardinal. I am proud to represent the heritage that my people have fought to show. To know that those before me cared enough to shape my future as well, motivates me entirely. Even though we still struggle to tackle cultural barriers, we progress in taking steps towards unity.

Hello December!

With the semester coming to a close and the holidays just around the corner, “The Chicks” decided to do a project that tied into the theme of “giving.” We did this by visiting some of Louisville’s well-known charitable organizations to get a first-hand look at how people are giving back to others in the community this holiday season. The organizations we focused on were St. Vincent de Paul’s, Toys for Tots, and the Salvation Army Angel Tree.

Our first stop on the list was St. Vincent de Paul’s (SVDP) Open Hand Kitchen, a soup kitchen located on South Jackson Street, just a few minutes from U of L’s campus. SVDP offers various services including: shelter for the homeless, drug rehabilitation, counseling services, and of course it’s Open Hand Kitchen, which serves two meals a day (lunch and dinner) to anyone who shows up. The kitchen serves roughly 120,000 meals each year and does not turn anyone in need away.

St. Vincent’s relies on generous donations from the community to stay running. They accept everything from canned and dry goods to paper products and clothing. Their mission is to “reach out to the poor in Christian compassion, without judgment regarding matters of faith, background or circumstance.” And the volunteers at SVDP truly embrace that credo and they welcome their clientele, offering them a safe haven and a warm meal. But SVDP offers more than that, it offers it’s clients a sense of community, a refuge from their often harsh reality. It is a place they know they can turn to when there is no where else for them to go. The clients who come to SVDP come from various walks of life: homeless, the “working poor,” families, and some who suffer from mental illness and are thus unable to work to provide for themselves.

Our next stop was the warehouse for Toy’s for Tots, which is also located just a few minutes from campus. Toys for Tots was established in Los Angeles in 1947 and has been teamed up with the U.S. Marine Corp Reserve Program since its’ inception. The chapter located here in Louisville is run by Coordinator, (Ret.) Captain Cletis S. Evans, who helped deliver an impressive 17,888 toys to children last year in Jefferson, Oldham, Shelby, and Spencer Counties. Evans, who has an impressive resume including a long list of military honors, and service in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, as well as Operation Iraqi Freedom, was also featured in NFocus Magazine for his great work with the organization.

Upon meeting Evans, it is easy to see his passion for the Toys for Tots program; he truly believes in the message he and the other volunteers are trying to deliver. The message is one of hope. Evans and his team strive to give less fortunate children across Kentuckiana hope, which will ultimately help them to become “responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.” Toys for Tots, as an organization, believes that they are investing in one of our nation’s most valuable resources–it’s children.
Toys for Tots is currently looking for both volunteers and donations for the rest of it’s collection and distribution campaign. There are boxes at businesses all over the Louisville area where donations can be made and they accept new, unwrapped toys. Toys for Tots also partners with the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree campaign; the two charitable organizations share workspace as well as toy donations. For children who are not “adopted” (and thereby receive a toy/gift) through the Angel Tree program, Toys for Tots supplements by using some of their donations to provide toys. The two work in perfect tandem as their ultimate goal is the same: to help as many kids as possible wake up on Christmas morning with a sense of wonder and hope.

The Salvation Army Angel Tree program began in 1984 and the program works by “adopting” a paper angel. Each angel represents a child in need and the item they need/want is listed on the angel. Once adopted, it’s as simple and purchasing the necessary item and returning it to the Angel Tree location (many are located in heavily populated shopping areas to make it convenient) where they will deliver the toy to your newly-adopted angel. Like Toys for Tots, Angel Tree’s mission is to provide underprivileged children with toys on Christmas morning, to “let them know someone cares.”

It’s often said that “charity starts at home” and even if Louisville isn’t your birthplace or the city you intend to live in forever, it’s never a bad idea to leave a place a little bit better than you found it. Even if it’s just donating a sweater you never wear anymore or giving your time to help feed those less fortunate, there is always an opportunity to do something that helps others this holiday season. For local charities looking for volunteers, information can be found at: http://www.volunteermatch.org. For more information about the charities listed, visit their website(s):

St. Vincent de Paul’s: http://www.svdplou.org.

Toys for Tots: http://louisville-ky.toysfortots.org.

Salvation Army Angel Tree: http://www.prisonfellowship.org/Angeltree‎

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Video and Article done by Makayla Moore, Kristen Lotze, Cherrelle Marable, and Sarah Burge.

Typhoon Haiyan: A Tropical Disaster

What a tragedy it has been to the world and to the University of Louisville’s International Service Learning Program. On Friday, November 8th, 2013, at 6:00 o’clock in the morning, Typhoon Haiyan (also being referred as Typhoon Yolanda) lead it’s surge through the Philippines destroying the homes of island natives and killing more than 2,500 people from the city of Tacloban alone. This unbelievable typhoon has taken its course across the Philippines weeks before participating students of the International Service Learning Program plan to depart. News sources say that people have been displaced and moved to communities that were unharmed by the 200mph winds and waters. The affected areas included Tacloban, Eastern Samar, Northern Cebu, Bohol, and Leyte. To stress the amount of damage Typhoon Haiyan has caused to the Philippines, if the storm would have occurred in the United States it would stretch from the bottom of Florida, across the states and reaching towards Canada. That should change your perspective.

   

       

The International Service Learning Program offers a three credit hour course here at the university. The course is open to any University of Louisville student enrolled in full-time courses. There is no required field of study that is needed to qualify. During the Fall and Spring semesters, an international service learning trip is offered and students have the ability to submit an application, with fingers crossed, hoping that they will be chosen to represent the university and engage in teaching their selected discipline to other students abroad.

Our participating students and faculty members have been preparing for their scheduled trip to Cebu, Philippines that will take place on December 6th, 2013. They will depart to return to the states on December 16, 2013 . After hearing about Typhoon Haiyan and it’s damages, many involved students are worried that the university will not let them travel to the Philippines based on sanitation and health reasons and that their money will have to be refunded to their student accounts. The waves of the typhoon waters reached about 45 feet and the devastation of this tragedy continues as many Americans and surrounding communities lend a helping hand. It is very questionable if this trip will go as planned and at this moment in time, being weeks away from departure, a decision as not yet been made on whether or not the university will allow the trip to happen. The International Service Learning Program awaits as the University’s Provost Office and persons inside Cebu, Philippines provide more information about this storm.

What information can you provide about Typhoon Haiyan and ensuring university students will be safe?

“It is difficult to observe the devastation that Typhoon Haiyan has made through the Philippines. Our thoughts and prayers go to our friends and colleagues throughout the country.

The northern tip of Cebu Island has been dramatically affected by the typhoon. The specific area of Cebu City (located 70 miles to the south) has largely been spared from the most devastating effects of the typhoon. Cebu City is one of the largest cities in the Philippines and, as we have been told from our colleagues in the school district, Lexmark, and community, is operating and functioning normally – with their efforts directed at helping the needy communities in the north and throughout the country.

Additionally, the principals and teachers in the areas the International Service Learning program serves have been largely unaffected and they continue to look forward to our arrival in December. We will make every effort to ensure that students are informed. We also have protocols in place to make sure our students are reasonably safe.

Knowing that recovery from an environmental disaster takes time and resources, we are currently assessing opportunities to support the country through the Office of Student Involvement. Our colleagues on the island continue to assess the damage received by the typhoon and will update us regularly.” – Dr. Tom Jackson, Jr, Vice President for Student Affairs and Adjunct Professor in Education

Is there any chance that participating students in this program will get to go on this trip?

“I have been in touch with Shirley Willihnganz, the executive vice president and university provost. The provost office gets to have the final say so as far as the judgement call. I advised the office that we are looking for more information that is direct and from the individuals we know there.” – Laura Mercer, Student Affairs program coordinator.

How do you feel about traveling to the Philippines after hearing about Typhoon Haiyan?

“I know it was a concern in our class about the university not allowing us as students to go on this trip. We were wondering how our money would be refunded and what will we have to do. It makes me nervous.” – Kristen Larsen, student participant

“I’m just as excited as I was before. I was slightly worried before listening to Tom Jackson, Joy Hart, and Kandi Walker, talk about what was going on. Now I’m pretty chill about it.” – Grant Ford, student participant

“To think that this has happened to the people of the Philippines is so sad. I wouldn’t mind helping them in any way that I can regardless of if we get to go on the trip or not. My prayers go  out to the families harmed by this typhoon.” – Emma Tierney, student participant

   

Evacuees of the Philippines continue to board military aircraft in hopes of staying out of harms way and finding a new home. The current president, Benigno Aquino III speaks on the storm and the affects that have taken place. He shares that Typhoon Haiyan is one of the strongest tropical storms in recorded history and it has taken a toll on the people of the Philippines. Across the media graphic images are being viewed of numerous bodies lined up to be processed by police, people walking through damaged homes and rummaging to find belongings, as well as survivors comforting one another. We can be thankful that only the northern part of Cebu was reached by the typhoon, though any part of the storm is of true misfortune. Students and faculty members will be visiting the area directly in the middle of Cebu and the program will take place in those standing schools and hotels. Available resources and scheduled activities are of course delayed at the moment and more information about the International Service Learning Program to Cebu will be discovered. Until then let’s all be grateful that our contributing cardinals are still here with us.

If you would like to help the Philippines, here are two websites you can visit in order to make donations and/or volunteer within the community to help send resources abroad such as www.worldvision.org/Haiyan, www.unicefusa.org/Philippines, and www.redcross.org.ph. University of Louisville Student Activities encourages donations to be made! This would be a great chance for you to take part in being active internationally and to show your respects to those in need during this time.

    

The following twitter accounts are being used in order to provide information about relief help and immediate volunteering: @WFPUSA (The World Food Program) and @PhilRedCross (Philippine Red Cross). Vital hashtags are also being used by Philippine survivors in order to find their loved ones that have been separated from one another. Those not affected by the typhoon are being asked to only use the following: #Haiyan and #Yolanda.