Interview with Mary Brown Ashford, May 7, 1984

Interview Summary

Mary Brown Ashford talks about her family background and growing up in Henderson County, Kentucky. She talks about her parents who were both born prior to the Civil War, and her grandfather who ran a blacksmith shop as a slave prior to emancipation. She talks about her education in Henderson and in Louisville, Kentucky, and talks about jobs she worked as a child. Ashford talks about her experiences teaching in North Carolina and Connecticut, and talks about disciplining the children in her classes. Ashford talks about her experiences with racism and discrimination, telling several personal stories about receiving threats for moving into a previously all-white neighborhood.

Interview Keyword

African Americans in Kentucky Discrimination in housing. Family histories. Neighborhoods. Race discrimination. Slavery--United States. United States--Race relations.

Interview LC Subject

African American families African Americans--Education African Americans--Segregation African Americans--Social conditions Ashford, Mary Brown Ashford, Mary Brown--Interviews Henderson (Ky.) Henderson County (Ky.) Racism Teachers

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.