Interview with Robert R. Jefferson, November 19, 1992

Partial Transcript: And are you from Lexington?

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson talks about his background and career. He talks about his Air Force career, which took place while the Air Force was first being integrated. It allowed him to go to trade school and work with a bomb squad and as a clerk. He talks about going to Kentucky State University and trading off between IBM and Narco (United States Narcotic Farm) until he retired from Narco. Finally, he mentions being elected as Second District Councilmember.

Keywords: Constitution Elementary School; Constitution School; Executive Order 9981; IBM; Integration; Kentucky State University; Narco; Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School; Retirees; Second District Councilmember; U.S. Air Force; United States Narcotic Farm

Subjects: Bomb squads; Integration; International Business Machines Corporation.; Kentucky State University; Lexington (Ky.); Retirement; United States. Air Force.

Partial Transcript: How did you become involved in the Urban League?

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson talks about the social activism he engaged in that led to him joining the Urban League of Lexington-Fayette County. He talks about ways the League helped to improve and advance the conditions of the Black community in Lexington. He situates the Urban League in relation to the Civil Rights Movement and the Great Society.

Keywords: Civil Rights; Civil Rights Movement; Community organizations; Great Society; P.G. Peeples; Porter G. Peeples, Sr.; Social activists; Urban League; Urban League of Lexington-Fayette County

Subjects: African Americans--Social conditions; Civil rights movements--United States; Community activists.; Lexington (Ky.); Minority activists

Partial Transcript: What aspect of the Urban League, uh, were you involved or are you currently involved in?

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson says he is not involved in the Urban League now, but he served as treasurer and president. He says the Board of Directors must have support from the business community, Black professionals, and the general community to accomplish its goals. He says its goal is to help individuals with gaining employment. He also talks about the Board's standards and the training they received. He also talks about the funding sources for the Urban League.

Keywords: Black professionals; Urban League; Urban League of Lexington-Fayette County

Subjects: African Americans--Social conditions; Boards of directors.; Civil rights movements--United States; Minority professional employees; National Urban League.; Professional employees.; Training.; United Way

Partial Transcript: How do perceive the Urban League's role and position for the Afro-American community?

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson talks about how the Urban League impacted the community, especially professionals and businesses. Jefferson says he was a member of CORE and talks about the roles he played in the organization. He also talks about the Office of Equal Opportunity and how it distributed funding to each agency.

Keywords: Community Action Council; Congress of Racial Equality (CORE); Human rights commissions; Micro-city government; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO); Urban League

Subjects: African Americans--Civil rights; African Americans--Social conditions; Community activists.; Congress of Racial Equality.; Minority activists; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.; Professional employees.

Partial Transcript: Historically, the Urban League has been perceived as a fairly conservative group, uh, as compared to the NAACP and other groups we just discussed.

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson says he does not perceive the Urban League as being conservative. He says the NAACP has not been as effective due to a lack of funding. He says the Urban League has had more success in helping people gain housing despite a lack of sufficient funding.

Keywords: Funding; Governments; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); Organizations; Representatives; Urban League

Subjects: Community activists.; Conservatism.; Local government.; Moderation

Partial Transcript: I'd like you to talk about Lexington's Urban League's relationship with the National Urban League.

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson describes Lexington's Urban League's relationship with the National Urban League. He compares Lexington's Urban League to Urban Leagues in other cities. He also provides his opinion on the leadership of Lexington's Urban League.

Keywords: Urban League; Urban League of Lexington-Fayette County

Subjects: Leadership.; National Urban League.; National Urban League. Conference

Partial Transcript: Do you feel that the Urban League is doing all it can do? If not, why don't they do more or why didn't they do more in your tenure there?

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson talks about the limited effectiveness of the Urban League due to its lack of sufficient funding from United Way. He says the Board of Directors did not support him in his criticism of United Way due to racism against him.

Keywords: Funding; Urban League; Urban League of Lexington-Fayette County

Subjects: African Americans--Social conditions; Boards of directors.; Race discrimination; Racism; United Way

Partial Transcript: What do you feel has been the greatest contribution or accomplishment over the past twenty years of the Urban League?

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson names some of the most important programs the Urban League has developed. In addition, he says that when the A. Philip Randolph Program was dissolved, another program should have replaced it.

Keywords: A. Philip Randolph; A. Philip Randolph Program; Cashiers training program; Housing programs; WTLA program

Subjects: Community activists.; Minority activists; Randolph, A. Philip (Asa Philip), 1889-1979.

Partial Transcript: What are the greatest challenges for the Urban League over the next five years?

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson says the Urban League's next challenge is to get involved in the education system to alleviate inequalities. He says that the Urban League would no longer be needed once African Americans achieve equality. He says the Urban League will not know what direction to go in until the Clinton administration assumes office, but says the Urban League should continue its current goals for now.

Keywords: Future; Future goals; Goals; Inequality; Urban League; Urban League of Lexington-Fayette County

Subjects: African Americans--Social conditions; Community activists.; Discrimination.; Minorities.; Racial justice in education.

Partial Transcript: Let's talk about integration.

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson says that Lexington has not been successful in integrating. He says that racism still exists in the community despite efforts to integrate. He talks about the country still being racist despite people saying otherwise.

Keywords: "Color-blindness"; Integration

Subjects: African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions; Equality.; Lexington (Ky.); Race discrimination.; Race relations--Kentucky; Racism.; United States--Race relations.

Partial Transcript: I'd like you to take this time and give me any thought you might have on the Urban League that maybe I didn't provoke by my questioning.

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson says that the mission of the Urban League has been criticized for not focusing enough on lower income people in urban areas. He says that that the main fault of the Urban League is that it focuses on Black professionals more than lower-income people. However, he says this comes from the National Urban League and says the national organization should create initiatives to supplement the gaps.

Keywords: Faults; Local level; National level; National organizations; Urban League; Urban low-income people

Subjects: African Americans--Economic conditions.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Social conditions.; National Urban League; Poverty; Professional employees.; Urban poor.