Interview with Lyman T. Johnson, March 24, 1990

Interview Summary

Lyman T. Johnson talks about how, due to integration and Central High School's size, Central had to play teams from outside of the state. He talks about the cost of travel for these out-of-state teams, which the local white teams did not have to pay. He talks about some of the outstanding black coaches he remembers, and what made them great. Johnson describes the Central High School gymnasium when he arrived there in the 1930s. He talks about how they could only hold small crowds, resulting in them never making enough money on admission prices, unlike the white schools. Johnson talks about how after integration occurred, white coaches began recruiting black players. He talks about how recruiting was not allowed by the Board of Education, but only black coaches were punished. He talks about how black athletes were treated by coaches. Johnson talks about Central High School challenging the winners of the state basketball tournament, a white team who had not played against any black schools due to segregation.

Interview Keyword

Black Athletic League Central High School African American coaches Sports facilities Coaches Recruitment Education, Higher University of Kentucky Basketball Basketball players. Football players. Football.

Interview LC Subject

University of Kentucky--Sports--History African Americans--Civil rights African Americans--Education. African Americans--Segregation African Americans--Social conditions. Civil rights movements--United States Discrimination in education. Education Integration Race discrimination. Race relations--Kentucky Racism School integration--Kentucky Segregation in education. African American athletes. African Americans--Recreation African Americans--Sports Segregation in education--Kentucky Louisville (Ky.) African American leadership

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.