Interview with Rosetta Beatty, February 2, 2009

Partial Transcript: Just start out with saying "I'm Rosetta Beatty."

Segment Synopsis: Rosetta Beatty is introduced. She talks about growing up in Versailles, Kentucky, and talks about her family. She talks about living in Woodford County before moving to Lexington. She talks about the neighborhoods she lived in while in Lexington, and describes her neighbors and the atmosphere in the neighborhoods.

Keywords: Aspendale Housing Project; Birth; Children; Elm Tree Lane; Farms; Greenwood; Housing projects; Maintenance; Married; Race Street; Reverend C.M. Beatty; Segregated neighborhood; Shiloh Baptist Church; Siblings; Thomas Street; Working

Subjects: African American families; African American neighborhoods; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Housing.; African Americans--Kentucky--Lexington--Social conditions; African Americans--Segregation; Childhood; Lexington (Ky.); Neighborliness; Neighbors; Segregation--Kentucky--Fayette County; Versailles (Ky.); Woodford County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Was the project only housing or were there businesses or anything there? Churches?

Segment Synopsis: Beatty describes the East End neighborhood during the 1960s in detail, including the stores, doctors' offices, and other buildings in the area. She talks about which businesses were owned by African Americans. She talks about the types of jobs she held at the time.

Keywords: Charles Young Community Center; Cleaning; Doctor's offices; Domestic work; East End Lexington; Louis Street; Nelson Avenue; Shiloh Baptist Church; Stores; Thomas Street; Working

Subjects: African American business enterprises; African American neighborhoods; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Kentucky--Lexington--Social conditions; Lexington (Ky.)--Buildings, structures, etc.

Partial Transcript: What schools did your kids go to?

Segment Synopsis: Beatty talks about which schools her children attended and which were integrated schools. She talks about their experiences with racial integration in school and discusses which aspects she believes caused the most problems.

Keywords: Children; Constitution Elementary School; Cooperation; Dunbar High School (Lexington, Ky.); Henry Clay High School (Lexington, Ky.); Johnson Elementary School; Lexington Junior High School; Main Street; Parents; Problems

Subjects: African Americans--Education--Kentucky--Lexington; African Americans--Kentucky--Lexington--Social conditions; African Americans--Social conditions.; Busing for school integration; Integration; Lexington (Ky.)--Race relations.; Neighbors; Race relations--Kentucky--Lexington; School integration--Kentucky--Fayette County; Teachers--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: When you were, uh, younger and you were working back then, how did you get around? Did you drive?

Segment Synopsis: Beatty discusses her work cleaning for and taking care of several families in Lexington. She describes her relationships with the families she worked for. She talks about her ability to drive.

Keywords: Buses; Children; Cost; Domestic work; Dr. Fine; Driver's licenses; Driving; Food; Hand-me-downs; Jewish families; Second-hand; Transportation; Working

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Relations with Jews.; Lexington (Ky.)--Race relations.

Partial Transcript: Now, so what was, uh, uh, what was your husband doing for a living back then?

Segment Synopsis: Beatty talks about where her husband worked over the years, and his decision to become a preacher. She describes more businesses in the East End area, specifically those on Deweese Street.

Keywords: Chicken Shack; Club Hurricane; Deweese Street; Husband; Insurance companies; Jobs; Keeneland racetrack; Lafayette Parking Garage; Lyric Theater; Parking cars; Preaching; Restaurants; Reverend C.M. Beatty; Stores; Supreme Life Insurance Company; Working

Subjects: African American business enterprises; African American neighborhoods; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Recreation; Lexington (Ky.)--Buildings, structures, etc.

Partial Transcript: And, you know, when I was, um, when I was working I also worked at, um, um, U--UK Hospital.

Segment Synopsis: Beatty talks more about the jobs she held over the years. She talks about working at the University of Kentucky Hospital, and discusses why she left that job. She talks about going to vocational school before working in nursing homes. She talks about knowing some of her patients from the East End neighborhood.

Keywords: Chem/Phys Building; Chicken Shack; Deweese Street; Fine Arts Building; Hamburgers; Laundry department; Nursing homes; Patients; Quitting; Retirement; Sundays; University of Kentucky Hospital; Vocational school; Working

Subjects: African American business enterprises; African American neighborhoods; African Americans--Employment.

Partial Transcript: But anyway, uh, uh--and then there was, uh, across the street from there was, uh, let's see, what was on that corner?

Segment Synopsis: Beatty describes more of the businesses in the East End neighborhood, again specifically focusing on Deweese Street.

Keywords: Barbershops; Club Hurricane; Corral Street; Deweese Street; Doctors; Houses; Main Street; Nightclubs; Restaurants; Second Street; Supreme Life Insurance Company

Subjects: African American business enterprises; African American neighborhoods; African American physicians--Kentucky--Lexington; Lexington (Ky.)--Buildings, structures, etc.

Partial Transcript: And then, um, and Clifford, he kept preaching.

Segment Synopsis: Beatty talks more about her husband's work as a preacher. She talks about the conflict over obtaining property to build a new building for the Cadentown Baptist Church. She talks about the help her husband received from church members and others in the community when building the church.

Keywords: Auctions; Building; Caden Lane; Cadentown Baptist Church; Churches; Construction; Deacon Hayes; Deacon Maloney; Disputes; Inheritance; Insurance; Liberty Road; Preaching; Property; Tithing

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Religion.; Lexington (Ky.)--Buildings, structures, etc.

Partial Transcript: Uh, and, and we bought a home on Elm Tree Lane.

Segment Synopsis: Beatty talks about buying their home on Elm Tree Lane. She talks more about working, and discusses several car accidents she was involved in. She talks about the atmosphere of the neighborhood on Elm Tree Lane, including the neighbors looking out for one another's children.

Keywords: Babysitters; Car accidents; Cars; Children; Discipline; Elm Tree Lane; Home ownership; Neighborhood atmosphere; Working

Subjects: African American families; African American neighborhoods; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Housing.; Lexington (Ky.)--Buildings, structures, etc.; Neighborliness; Neighbors

Partial Transcript: And then, um, after, after Clifford died then that's when I went to this nursing to do all of that.

Segment Synopsis: Beatty talks about her job visiting patients' homes as a nurse. She talks about the close relationship she formed with one family and the way they demonstrated their appreciation for her work.

Keywords: Appreciation; Blessings; Care Tenders; Family; Gifts; Inheritance; Patients; Raises; Salary; Wages; Working

Subjects: African Americans--Employment.; Lexington (Ky.)--Race relations.; Race relations--Kentucky--Lexington

Partial Transcript: And, uh, the, the, the area after I came over here, it, it was a blessing for me to come over here to this place.

Segment Synopsis: Beatty talks about where she lives now and discusses what she enjoys about living there. She talks about why she does not drive anymore.

Keywords: Cars; Driving; Experiences; Eyesight; Learning; Meeting people

Subjects: African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Housing.; African Americans--Social life and customs.; Neighbors

Partial Transcript: --a little bit about, um--a couple things I want to follow up on.

Segment Synopsis: Beatty talks more about the opening of the Lyric Theater, and its owners. She talks about going to see movies there. She talks about people she knew working at Keeneland, their wages, and how they were stopped from receiving tips. She talks about her brother continuing to receive tips from his regular customers. She talks about her parents' opinions of her husband.

Keywords: Brothers; Films; Fort Springs; Horse racing; Horse track; Housing projects; Husband; Jobs; Keeneland racetrack; Lyric Theater; Managers; Married; Movies; Owners; Parents; Tips; Working

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Marriage.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Social life and customs.; Lexington (Ky.)--Buildings, structures, etc.

Partial Transcript: Let, let me ask you this, because--

Segment Synopsis: Beatty talks about her father working as a farmer and his relationships with his employers. She discusses growing up in Kentucky and experiencing segregation in restaurants and theaters. She talks about the house she grew up in and how it became crowded when her siblings were born.

Keywords: Aspendale Housing Project; Changes; Children; Elementary schools; Expanding; Farms; Fathers; Fort Springs; Frogtown; Gifts; Remodeling; Restaurants; Theaters; Working

Subjects: African American families; African American neighborhoods; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Housing.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; Childhood; Discrimination.; Lexington (Ky.); Woodford County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Wh--what do you think about, uh, us having Obama as president?

Segment Synopsis: Beatty discusses her feelings about the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States. She talks about how technology has changed since her childhood.

Keywords: Hilary Clinton; Inauguration; Internet; President of the United States; Radio; Speeches; Television

Subjects: African American leadership; African Americans--Politics and government.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Obama, Barack.; Technological innovations

Partial Transcript: Do you remember what, like, rent was in Aspendale back then?

Segment Synopsis: Beatty talks about how much her rent cost when she moved to Aspendale and how it changed over the years. She describes the difficulty she had while trying to pay her rent because they wanted her husband to bring the payment. She talks about how her husband's uncle helped them pay rent, and about one of her children needing new shoes.

Keywords: Aspendale Housing Project; Children; Cost; Credit; Greenwood; Housing projects; Money; Paying rent; Payments; Problems; Salary; School; Shoes; Students; Trouble; Uncles; Wages; Working

Subjects: African American families; African American neighborhoods; African Americans--Economic conditions.; African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Housing.

Partial Transcript: What, what would be your message to young people?

Segment Synopsis: Beatty talks about what advice she would give to young people to have a successful life. She says that children should obey their parents and gives examples to illustrate her point. She describes more of the businesses that were once on Deweese Street. She talks about the barbershops and who owned them. She talks about her experience with drinking alcohol. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Barbershops; Beer; Car accidents; Children; Churches; Club Hurricane; Derby (nightclub); Deweese Street; Drinking alcohol; Female barbers; Life lessons; Obeying; Parents; Shotgun houses; Third Street; Trouble; Versailles (Ky.)

Subjects: African American business enterprises; African American families; African American neighborhoods; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Social life and customs.; Lexington (Ky.)--Buildings, structures, etc.