Interview with George Moorman, July 19, 2006

Interview Summary

Dr. George Moorman shares about his experiences growing up in Lexington and attending the University of Kentucky. He begins by discussing his family?s career histories and about their religious beliefs. He describes effects of segregation and integration on his social as well as educational experiences growing up. He first attended the University of Kentucky from 1975 to 1978 and faced daily racism on its campus as a black student. He shares about the violence that occurred against black students during his time on campus and he describes the murder of his friend by two University of Kentucky football players. He explains how black students came together to support one another as they faced their daily struggles. Moorman describes the value his family places on education and the educational achievements various family members have received. He highlights social activities he was a part of on campus such as the Black Student Union and Perfect Circle. He discusses classroom discrimination that he and other black students faced from professors. He explains unfair grading practices that were common during that time at the University of Kentucky. He then describes returning to the university in the ?90?s and changes he noticed on the campus. He highlights his educational achievements such a completing his Bachelor?s degree and receiving his PhD. Moorman designed several youth programs while he was a student at the University of Kentucky which he shares about in this interview. He explains the importance of these programs to the community and how his experiences at the university helped him become who he is today despite facing discrimination as an undergraduate as well as a graduate student.

Interview Keyword

African American Alumni Classroom discrimination Integration Racial discrimination Segregation Social activism University of Kentucky Alumni

Interview LC Subject

African American college graduates--Kentucky Education, Higher--Kentucky--Lexington Educational change--Kentucky Moorman, George Moorman, George--Interviews Racism University of Kentucky University of Kentucky--History

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

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