Interview with Jerry Bransford, July 27, 2009

Interview Summary

Jerry Bransford recounts his life growing up in Glasgow (Ky.) during segregation and his family's history with Mammoth Cave. Bransford first speaks on growing up in Glasgow (Ky.) with segregation and discrimination. However, Bransford was one of the first in a group of 9 kids to integrate into a white high school. This was an experiment to see if they could integrate the black and white schools and it was a successful venture. Next, Bransford tells his family's long history with Mammoth Cave, living and working there long before it was a tourist attraction. He explains how his family worked there for 4 generations until they were let go due to racial discrimination. Bransford also talks about the community of Flint Ridge that was an integrated community near Mammoth Cave that had almost equal numbers of African Americans and white people. However, Bransford says in the fall when the leaves would fall and you could see across the valley the KKK would burn a massive cross that could be seen for miles. Bransford says this disturbed the white people and and black people in the community because no one knew who did the burning. The interview wraps up with Barbara Bransford talking about a teacher who would go pick up her students in her own personal vehicle so they could go to school. This is because there were no black schools near them and the only one was very far away. She said sometimes the winters would be so rough that when she picked the kids up the first thing she would do is warm up their feet to avoid frostbite.

Interview Keyword

African Americans African Americans in Kentucky Race relations Glasgow (Ky.) Segregation African American schools Integration Mammoth Cave Flint Ridge (Ky.) Ku Klux Klan (KKK)

Interview LC Subject

African Americans--Civil rights African Americans--Civil rights--Kentucky African Americans--Segregation African Americans--Social conditions African Americans. Bransford, Jerry Bransford, Jerry--Interviews African Americans--Southern States African Americans--Civil rights--Southern States Race relations Racism Race discrimination--Kentucky

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Interview Usage

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