Interview with Homer E. Nutter, June 11, 1978

Partial Transcript: --ward Owens. I'm working with the Urban League on their Oral Black History Project.

Segment Synopsis: Nutter provides a brief overview of his past along with a description of his time as an Army clerk.

Keywords: Clerks; Homer E. Nutter; United States Army

Subjects: African American veterans.; African Americans--Military service; Armies; Lexington (Ky.); Louisville (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Can you tell me the role that the church played during the Depression and what hardships the Depression brought on the people in the church?

Segment Synopsis: Nutter explains the role of his church in easing the blow of the Great Depression by providing a soup kitchen.

Keywords: The Great Depression

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; Charity; Depressions--1929--Kentucky; Soup kitchens

Partial Transcript: What role did the church play during World War Two?

Segment Synopsis: Nutter speaks on the role of the church during World War Two.

Keywords: Preachers; WW2; WWII; War; World War II

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; Patriotism; World War Two; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: What, in, in your opinion, what are the churches doing about the problems that are in the black community?

Segment Synopsis: Nutter discusses his previous plans for creating a home for the elderly and why the plans never came into fruition.

Keywords: Aid; Black community; Elderly; Government; Problems; Senior citizens; Support

Subjects: Communities; Nursing homes; Older people; Youth

Partial Transcript: Could you give us some of the organizations that you've been active in in Lexington?

Segment Synopsis: Nutter names some of the organizations in which he had been involved. Nutter also speaks about being welcomed into a new platform as he was able to exchange pulpits with white preachers.

Keywords: Family Welfare Board; Pulpits; Race relations; The Red Cross; White preachers

Subjects: Church; Church buildings; Family welfare; Organizations

Partial Transcript: Who were some of the leading Black ministers in Lexington?

Segment Synopsis: Nutter gives a list of predominant Black ministers and their churches in Lexington. He also explains the difference between older ministers and younger ministers.

Keywords: Black ministers; Ministers; Pastors; Race

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African American clergy.; African American leadership; Church; Civil rights; Leaders

Partial Transcript: What role did you have as a minister of a, of a fairly large church in Lexington, in the Civil Rights Movement?

Segment Synopsis: Nutter explains the expectations the community had for him as a Black minister in Lexington and his misrepresentation in the local newspaper. Nutter also speaks about his relationship with the city officials in Lexington.

Keywords: "Uncle Tom"; Commissioners; Liberty Baptist Church; Newspapers; Radical; Relationships; Responsibilities; Role

Subjects: African American clergy.; African American leadership; Civil rights movement; Courier-journal (Louisville, Ky.); Lexington, (Ky.); Media

Partial Transcript: We were gonna have the same thing had, uh--they had every where else.

Segment Synopsis: Nutter describes his struggle with the school board to gain opportunities for Black teachers to be considered for the position of principal.

Keywords: African American teachers; Coaches; George Washington Carver Elementary School; Qualifications; School board; School principals

Subjects: African Americans--Education; Consolidation; Discrimination in employment.; Elementary schools; Schools; Teachers, Black

Partial Transcript: John Smith, but, uh...

Segment Synopsis: Nutter speaks about the educational career of John Smith and the struggle to obtain equal opportunities for African American school leaders.

Keywords: Black principals; Influence; Opportunities; Qualifications; School board

Subjects: African Americans--Education; Discrimination in employment.; Lexington (Ky.); Schools

Partial Transcript: During, um, this time, the time the Civil Rights Movement was going on, and even before then, there was, I'd say a reasonable amount of black businesses in Lexington--black owned businesses. Today there are relatively none. Can you explain why?

Segment Synopsis: Nutter makes an attempt to explain the absence of Black-owned businesses in Lexington.

[Some audio distortion occurs in this segment.]

Keywords: Brick contractors; Business; Contractors

Subjects: African American business enterprises; African Americans--Economic conditions.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Black businesspeople; Economy; Lexington (Ky.); Politicians

Partial Transcript: Oh, and at the time, I had a little weight.

Segment Synopsis: Nutter speaks about his time as a member of the Urban League in Lexington. He also speaks about the death of friend Whitney Gordon.

Keywords: Executive board; New York; Urban League of Lexington; Whitney Gordon

Subjects: Arrangements; Funeral consultants; President; Welfare and society