Voices of African Immigrants in Kentucky

Voices of African Immigrants in Kentucky
Author: Francis Musoni
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2020-01-20
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0813178622

“A rich blend of narrative history, personal recollections, and heart-wrenching oral testimonials . . . powerful.” —Imali J. Abala, author of The Dreamer With an introduction that provides a historical and theoretical overview of African immigration, the heart of this book is built around oral history interviews with forty-seven of the more than twenty-two thousand Africa-born immigrants in Kentucky. A former ambassador from Gambia, a pharmacist from South Africa, a restaurant owner from Guinea, a certified nursing assistant from the Democratic Republic of Congo—every immigrant has a unique and complex story of their life experiences and the decisions that led them to emigrate to the United States. The compelling narratives in this book reveal why and how these immigrants came to the Bluegrass state—whether it was coming voluntarily as a student or forced because of war—and how they connect with and contribute to their home countries as well as to the US. The immigrants describe their challenges—language, loneliness, cultural differences, credentials for employment, ignorance toward Africa, and racism—and positive experiences such as education, job opportunities, and helpful people. One chapter focuses on family—including interviews with the second generations—and how the immigrants identify themselves. “Compelling . . . a must read for anyone seeking the substance behind the newspaper headlines and statistics.” —Frank X Walker, author of Affrilachia

Voices of African Immigrants in Kentucky

Voices of African Immigrants in Kentucky
Author: Francis Musoni
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 227
Release: 2020-01-20
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0813178614

Following historical and theoretical overview of African immigration, the heart of this book is based on oral history interviews with forty-seven of the more than twenty-two thousand Africa-born immigrants in Kentucky. From a former ambassador from Gambia, a pharmacist from South Africa, a restaurant owner from Guinea, to a certified nursing assistant from the Democratic Republic of Congo—every immigrant has a unique and complex story of their life experiences and the decisions that led them to emigrate to the United States. The compelling narratives reveal why and how the immigrants came to the Bluegrass state—whether it was coming voluntarily as a student or forced because of war—and how they connect with and contribute to their home countries as well as to the US. The immigrants describe their challenges—language, loneliness, cultural differences, credentials for employment, ignorance towards Africa, and racism—and positive experiences such as education, job opportunities, and helpful people. One chapter focuses on family—including interviews with the second generations—and how the immigrants identify themselves.

Gatewood

Gatewood
Author: Matthew Strandmark
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 238
Release: 2023-11-07
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0813198437

When Louis Gatewood Galbraith passed away in 2012, the flood of tributes honoring him merely scratched the surface of the life of this colorful and controversial figure. Throughout his political career, regional and national media outlets focused on the policy ideas and public acts that made Galbraith a cultural fixture: public demonstrations, an affinity for recreational drug use, unfiltered language, and recurring political campaigns. Best known as an advocate for the legalization of cannabis, Second Amendment rights, and smaller government, Galbraith was a perennial candidate whose once-quixotic platform might have found traction in contemporary Kentucky politics. In Gatewood: Kentucky's Uncommon Man, Matthew Strandmark weaves together personal stories, public records, and oral history interviews to provide a comprehensive overview of the life and career of an eccentric and fascinating figure. From his ailment-plagued childhood in Carlisle, Kentucky, to his young adulthood spent at the fringes of Lexington society, the opening chapters of Galbraith's life were vital in developing the values that later came to define his political career—his passion for rural communities and low tolerance for bullies. As a college dropout in the 1960s, Galbraith explored both conventional and unconventional avenues of self-discovery before returning to the University of Kentucky, where he graduated from law school and found his calling as an evangelist for cannabis legalization. His appetite for the spotlight and his penchant for standing up for the underdog launched Galbraith into a thirty-year career of campaigning, groundbreaking legal cases, public activism throughout the commonwealth—and friendships with celebrities, including Woody Harrelson, Jack Herer, and Willie Nelson. As an attorney, activist, author, father, friend, and opponent, Galbraith wore many hats—and not just his beloved fedora. This revealing biography features insightful conversations with Galbraith's family and colleagues, as well as commentary from Paul E. Patton, Ernie Fletcher, Andy Barr, Ben Chandler, and other well-known Kentuckians. Gatewood provides a richer and nuanced understanding of a generous, complicated, and flawed public figure who devoted his life to helping others and whose legacy will continue to resonate with Kentuckians for generations to come.

The Coal Miner Who Became Governor

The Coal Miner Who Became Governor
Author: Paul E. Patton
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 296
Release: 2023-11-07
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0813198348

Born in a tenant house in Fallsburg, Kentucky, Paul Patton had a humble upbringing that held few clues about his future as one of the most prominent politicians in the history of the state. From the coal mines to the governor's office, Patton's life exemplifies hard work, determination, and perseverance, as well as the consequences of personal mistakes. In The Coal Miner Who Became Governor, Patton, with Jeffrey S. Suchanek, details his personal, professional, and political life in Kentucky, starting with his career in the coal industry. After working for his father-in-law, J. C. Cooley, in the 1950s, he partnered with his brother-in-law to establish their own coal company, which they sold for millions in 1978. Patton leveraged his business connections into a political career, raising money for Democratic candidates before becoming the chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party. He first took elected office in 1981 as Pike County judge/executive; he then served a term as lieutenant governor (1991–1995), followed by an unprecedented two consecutive terms as governor. His overhaul of higher education in Kentucky led to his role as the University of Pikeville's president and chancellor, even after his political career. In this compelling account, Patton reveals the decision-making process for campaign strategies, selection of running mates, postsecondary education and workers' compensation reforms, early childhood development initiatives, and attempts at tax reform. He gives his unfiltered opinion about Mitch McConnell's "scorched-earth political philosophy" and how it has failed Kentucky, and he draws connections between public policy and party machinations during his time in office and the present day. He also addresses his fall from grace—his extramarital affair with Tina Conner and its effects on his personal and professional life.

Washington's Iron Butterfly

Washington's Iron Butterfly
Author: Donald A. Ritchie
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 266
Release: 2022-01-11
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0813182271

Had Elizabeth "Bess" Clements Abell (1933–2020) been a boy, she would likely have become a politician like her father, Earle C. Clements. Effectively barred from office because of her gender, she forged her own path by helping family friends Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson. Abell's Secret Service code name, "Iron Butterfly," exemplified her graceful but firm management of social life in the Johnson White House. After Johnson's administration ended, she maintained her importance in Washington, DC, serving as chief of staff to Joan Mondale and cofounding a public relations company. Donald A. Ritchie and Terry L. Birdwhistell draw on Abell's own words and those of others known to her to tell her remarkable story. Focusing on her years working for the Johnson campaign and her time in the White House, this engaging oral history provides a window into Abell's life as well as an insider's view of the nation's capital during the tumultuous 1960s.

Voices from the Peace Corps

Voices from the Peace Corps
Author: Angene Hopkins Wilson
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 413
Release: 2011-04-08
Genre: History
ISBN: 0813129753

Based on more than one hundred oral history interviews, [this title] follows the the experiences of Kentuckians who chose to live and work in other countries around the world, fostering close, lasting relationships with the people they served. -- jacket.

Debating African Issues

Debating African Issues
Author: William G. Moseley
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 295
Release: 2022-09-14
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0429535422

This debate style textbook allows students to explore diverse, well-founded views on controversial African issues, pushing them to go beyond superficial interpretations and complicate and ground their understanding of the continent. From the positive images in the film Black Panther, to the derogatory remarks of former American President Donald Trump, the African continent often figures prominently in the collective, global imagination. This interdisciplinary collection covers 20 enduring and contemporary debates across a broad range of subjects affecting Africa, from development and health to agriculture, climate change, and urbanization. Each chapter has a pro and con view penned by a leading expert on the topic in an accessible and engaging style. These contrasting views on each issue are framed by an introduction that helps the student contextualize the debate and draw on further resources. Moreover, they enable readers to deepen their understanding of the topic, develop a more nuanced perspective, and foster classroom debates. This book is an excellent resource for Africa related courses across a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary fields including African studies, anthropology, development studies, economics, environmental studies, geography, history, international studies, political science and public health.

The Global Education Movement

The Global Education Movement
Author: Toni Fuss Kirkwood-Tucker
Publisher: IAP
Total Pages: 460
Release: 2018-01-01
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1641130687

The pages of this book paint a portrait of thirteen scholars and their lifelong professional accomplishments in and contributions to teaching, service, and research in global international education around the world. Their extraordinary work contributed extensively to the development, direction and growth of the global education movement in the United States initiated by James M. Becker as Director of School Services for the Foreign Policy Association, New York City, in the 1960s. These scholars were honored with the Distinguished Global Scholar Award presented by the International Assembly of the National Council for the Social Studies, the largest professional organization for social studies educators in the United States. Their narratives comprise an intriguing mosaic of backgrounds, scholarship, and contexts from which their extraordinary work blossomed in building bridges—not walls—among peoples and nations. The publication is intended to honor the professional achievements in global international education of these scholars who have devoted their professional lives to creating a better world through their work. More importantly, this book exposes globally-minded individuals, educators, scholars, administrators, and policymakers around the world to empowering role models from Africa, Europe, and the United States and opportunity to learn about the multitude of professional activities, teachings, partnerships, exchange programs and research in which they might engage to promote a deeper understanding about the cultural, geographic, economic, social, and technological interconnectedness of the world and its people---the very purpose of global education.

Sweet Freedom's Plains

Sweet Freedom's Plains
Author: Shirley Ann Wilson Moore
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Total Pages: 408
Release: 2016-10-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 0806156856

The westward migration of nearly half a million Americans in the mid-nineteenth century looms large in U.S. history. Classic images of rugged Euro-Americans traversing the plains in their prairie schooners still stir the popular imagination. But this traditional narrative, no matter how alluring, falls short of the actual—and far more complex—reality of the overland trails. Among the diverse peoples who converged on the western frontier were African American pioneers—men, women, and children. Whether enslaved or free, they too were involved in this transformative movement. Sweet Freedom’s Plains is a powerful retelling of the migration story from their perspective. Tracing the journeys of black overlanders who traveled the Mormon, California, Oregon, and other trails, Shirley Ann Wilson Moore describes in vivid detail what they left behind, what they encountered along the way, and what they expected to find in their new, western homes. She argues that African Americans understood advancement and prosperity in ways unique to their situation as an enslaved and racially persecuted people, even as they shared many of the same hopes and dreams held by their white contemporaries. For African Americans, the journey westward marked the beginning of liberation and transformation. At the same time, black emigrants’ aspirations often came into sharp conflict with real-world conditions in the West. Although many scholars have focused on African Americans who settled in the urban West, their early trailblazing voyages into the Oregon Country, Utah Territory, New Mexico Territory, and California deserve greater attention. Having combed censuses, maps, government documents, and white overlanders’ diaries, along with the few accounts written by black overlanders or passed down orally to their living descendants, Moore gives voice to the countless, mostly anonymous black men and women who trekked the plains and mountains. Sweet Freedom’s Plains places African American overlanders where they belong—at the center of the western migration narrative. Their experiences and perspectives enhance our understanding of this formative period in American history.