All this month we are visiting with Reinette Jones who along with colleague Rob Aken, oversee the UK Libraries’ Notable Kentucky African Americans Database– a free online resource for anyone who wants to know more about the history of our commonwealth. The database is full of little known stories of achievement, injustice, and agency of African Americans, past and present, and this week we look at the rise of African American attorneys in Kentucky.
African American Lawyers/Attorneys, Kentucky, 1880-1940: At the turn of the century, the state of Kentucky was a major contributor to the increasing number of African American lawyers in the United States. Central Law School in Louisville, KY, was one of the main reasons for the contribution; it was the only law school in the United States that was solely supported by African American citizens. The school was established in 1890 and was one of four law schools in the United States that was open exclusively to African Americans. http://nkaa.uky.edu/nkaa/items/show/300003820
