Interview with Jessica R. Knox, Victoria Knox Storey, December 15, 2021

Interview Summary

Sisters Jessica Knox and Victoria Knox Storey discuss their experiences with the 1964 March on Frankfort. Their father was notable Kentucky civil rights activist Fermon Knox. Knox and Knox Storey begin the interview by discussing their parents and how they met. Knox is the older of the two sisters and lived in an integrated neighborhood of Louisville until the family moved to Covington when she was nine. Both sisters then recount their experiences of segregation while growing up in Covington. Knox and Knox Storey discuss the lives of their other two sisters. The sisters then recall their parents' involvement in helping people and their respective roles in community engagement. Knox then articulates her involvement in the civil rights movement with her father. Knox recalls what it was like to meet famous civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Medgar Evers. After the assassination of Dr. King, Knox began to fear for her father's safety as a civil rights activist. Knox describes an incident of racism and discrimination that occurred when she was a teenager. Knox then details her father's participation in the March on Frankfort and the Selma March. Knox remembers that NAACP members would gather together in the Knox family home to strategize prior to NAACP meetings. The sisters also describe the role of their mother in the civil rights movement. Knox then shares her memories of the March on Frankfort, including when she had the opportunity to meet Dr. King. Knox explains how civil rights bills have benefitted white women. Knox and Knox Storey then discuss the differences between the Black Lives Matter movement and the civil rights movement. Knox illustrates how race, civil rights, and racism are perceived today through an experience she had with children playing a game designed to demonstrate the effects of segregation on individuals. Knox explains the importance of family history and community. Knox considers the role of protest in today's world. Knox recalls her initial experiences with segregation when she first moved to Covington. Knox provides her opinion on the legacy of civil rights in the U.S. Knox and Knox Storey remember their father's last years. Knox briefly talks of fellow interviewee and civil rights activist Jim Embry. Knox and Knox Storey conclude the interview with a reflection on the role of songs in the civil rights movement.

Interview Keyword

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. March on Frankfort Fermon Knox Alice Knox Northern Kentucky National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) NAACP Youth Council Civil rights legislation White people White women Physical disabilities Desegregation Integration Kentucky Civil Rights Act of 1966 Jim Embry World War II

Interview LC Subject

Kentucky State University World War, 1939-1945 African American soldiers Frankfort (Ky.) Franklin County (Ky.) Black people African Americans Civil rights Civil rights movement Civil rights demonstrations Louisville (Ky.) Jefferson County (Ky.) Kentucky Kentuckians Sisters Fathers Covington (Ky.) Kenton County (Ky.) Leaders Leadership Segregation Discrimination Racism Prejudice Communities Death threats Safety March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (1963 : Washington, D.C.) Selma to Montgomery Rights March (1965 : Selma, Ala.) Speeches Childhood Early life Mothers Protests (Negotiable instruments) Black Lives Matter movement Equality Race Family history Genealogy People with disabilities Ancestors Protest songs Singing

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 only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.