Interview with Porter G. "PG" Peeples, Sr., April 30, 2013

Interview Summary

P. G. Peeples describes his childhood in Lynch, Kentucky, including his neighborhood, school, his leisure activities, and family discipline. Peeples states that his high school in Harlan County was integrated his senior year, several years before the schools in Lexington were. He also talks about the community college he attended immediately afterwards, and the University of Kentucky.

Peeples talks briefly about the Great Migration of African Americans that occurred in the first part of the 20th century. He tells how he used to spend his summers in Brooklyn, and talks about some of the jobs he had while there. Peeples talks about some of the riots and protests that went on when he was visiting Brooklyn in the 1960's.

Peeples talks about his early experiences working for the Urban League. Peeples talks about some of the educational programs that the Urban League of Lexington established during his first years as director. He also talks about the Urban League's commitment to affordable housing, and shares how it has financed the construction or renovation of many houses and apartment complexes in Lexington. Peeples talks about the Fayette County School Board's unwillingness to acknowledge the academic achievement gap for African American students, and how the Urban League protested this in the early 2000's.

Peeples talks about his teachers, family members, and others in his community who positively influenced him when he was growing up. He discusses the legacy of these people, as well as civil rights activists of the past. Peeples shares some of his experiences dealing with racism when he attended the University of Kentucky. Peeples discusses others' perception of him as a black man from Appalachian Kentucky, and how Americans as a whole perceive Kentuckians to be. He shares his opinions on what he feels are some of the major racial issues in the state of Kentucky, including the strong hatred of President Barack Obama.

Interview Keyword

Harlan County (Ky.) Lynch (Ky.) Racism Urban League of Lexington (Ky.)

Interview LC Subject

Civil rights demonstrations Civil rights movements Congress of Racial Equality Integration Kentucky Commission on Human Rights Lexington (Ky.) National Urban League Segregation African Americans

Interview Rights

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Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.