The multi-year project began in 1998. It was developed and directed by the Kentucky Oral History Commission, a program of the Kentucky Historical Society. Its goal, says Dr. J. Kevin Graffagnino, executive director of the Historical Society, was to preserve the stories of Kentuckians who participated in various aspects of the civil rights struggle and to develop educational programming to advance understanding of the history and legacy of the civil rights movement in Kentucky.
"Kentucky has often been neglected in histories of the civil rights movement in this country, but the struggle to end legal segregation was very much a part of the Kentucky experience," says Graffagnino. "The project clearly illustrate the depths of commitment by Kentuckians to bring about social justice in the commonwealth."
The project includes several elements, among them more than 175 interviews with people involved or associated with the civil rights struggle in Kentucky. These interviews were used as a basis for a video documentary, "Living the Story: The Civil Rights Movement in Kentucky," which presents the powerful stories of Kentuckians' efforts to end legal segregation in the commonwealth.
Also part of the project were curriculum materials, web sites at the Historical Society and Kentucky Educational Television, a symposium held at the Kentucky History Center, a performance piece, "Nothing New for Easter," presented by the KHS museum theatre program, and radio programs.
"The purpose of the project is not to present a comprehensive history of the civil rights movement in Kentucky, but to tell parts of theat history by weaving together the experiences of those who lived the story," says Dr. Betsy Brinson, who directed the project and was executive producer of the video documentary.
The Kentucky Historical Society is an agency of the Education, Arts and Humanities Cabinet. Its headquarters is the Kentucky History Center in downtown Frankfort.
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