Interview with Valinda Livingston, February 9, 2009

Interview Summary

Valinda Livingston attended Dunbar Junior High and High School in Lexington, Kentucky before graduating from Kentucky State College. She was a teacher in Lexington, and then became principal of Russell Elementary School before working for the Fayette County school system. In this interview Livingston discusses her own education experiences, including the schools she attended, her favorite teachers, and overcoming her shyness. She talks about her involvement in church, and discusses how her church, Shiloh Baptist, has changed since her childhood. She talks about growing up in the East End neighborhood in Lexington, the businesses, churches, and schools there, and the relationships with her neighbors. She discusses how the neighborhood has changed over the years.

Livingston talks about her career in education, her accomplishments as principal of Russell Elementary, and the challenges she faced. She talks about the importance of black teachers as role models for black children.

Interview Keyword

African Americans East End Lexington, Ky. Race relations

Interview LC Subject

African Americans--Social conditions Lexington (Ky.). Livingston, Valinda Livingston, Valinda--Interviews African Americans African Americans--Race identity

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.