Interview with Raoul Cunningham, June 3, 2013

Partial Transcript: My name is Nieta Wigginton. It is June the Third, and I am with Mr. Raoul Cunningham. He is our interviewee today...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham shares some basic information about himself. He also talks about how he became involved in the NAACP, his family, and his upbringing.

Keywords: NAACP; NAACP meetings; Parents; Willie B. Cunningham; Willie Mae Cunningham; Youth Council

Subjects: African Americans--Segregation; Families; Louisville (Ky.); National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; Race discrimination; Youth

Partial Transcript: So you, as a, as a teenager you c--, you canvassed the neighborhoods?

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham shares his experiences canvasing neighborhoods in Louisville's West End while he was in high school. He talks about the schools he went to and staff members he looked up as a student. He mentions Negro History Week and how it was a part of his education.

Keywords: Black History Month; Canvassing; Dunbar Elementary School (Louisville, Ky.); Duvalle Junior High School (Louisville, Ky.); Louisville Male High School (Louisville, Ky.); Negro History Week; Neighborhoods; School segregation; Virginia Avenue Elementary School (Louisville, Ky.); West End (Louisville, Ky.)

Subjects: African Americans--Kentucky--Louisville; Louisville (Ky.); Neighborhoods--Kentucky--Louisville

Partial Transcript: When you learned about different, uh, role models, or different, uh, heroes in various...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham discusses his role model Ralph Bunche, who was the Undersecretary of the United Nations, and the first African American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. He also discusses his career goals as a young man.

Keywords: African Americans; Arabs; Careers; Israel; Jobs; Lawyers; Nobel Peace Prize; Peace plans; Role models

Subjects: Bunche, Ralph J. (Ralph Johnson), 1904-1971; Howard University

Partial Transcript: Well, y-- you mentioned previously, uh, before we started the taping that you attended Howard University.

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham tells how he chose to attend Howard University. He describes his years at Louisville Male High School, including his involvement in sit-ins, for which he was arrested.He states that his mother played an important role in his university decision.

Keywords: Arrests; High school principals; Integrated schools; Louisville Board of Aldermen; Louisville Male High School (Louisville, Ky.); Mayors; NAACP; Public accommodations ordinance; Scholarships; School discrimination; Sit-ins

Subjects: Howard University; Louisville (Ky.); Milburn, William; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

Partial Transcript: I'm going to come back to Howard, but I want to ask you a couple questions that you mentioned of being arrested in high school...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham discusses sit-ins he participated in while in high school. He talks about the segregation of public accommodations in the 1960's, and how this led to the sit-ins.

Keywords: Arrests; Civil disobedience; Clothing stores; Demonstrations; Discrimination in restaurants; Disorderly conduct; High school students; Juvenile court; NAACP; Protesters; Public accommodations; Racial segregation

Subjects: African Americans--Kentucky--Louisville--Social conditions; Louisville (Ky.); National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; Segregation

Partial Transcript: That Monday, following Monday, the adult branch ask-- told us not to go...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham tells how he was arrested for disorderly conduct, and talks about recruitment for demonstrations.

Keywords: Arrest records; Arrests; High school students; Juvenile court; Nonviolent protests; Pastors; Recruitment; Sit-ins; Word of mouth; YMCA

Subjects: Louisville (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: What was the, the verdict when you went to court? What happened?

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham talks about the consequences of being arrested during the sit-ins, and the concerns the NAACP's adult branch had for its younger members. He also describes the consequences at school of participating in the protests.

Keywords: Arrests; Chestnut Street YMCA; Courts; High school; NAACP; Verdicts

Subjects: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

Partial Transcript: How were you able to compose yourself to keep taking these risks and to make sure that, um, to the best of your ability you weren't hurt?

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham talks about the young members of the NAACP in Louisville, and how they took a pledge to practice nonviolence during their demonstrations. He also talks about other organizations he was involved in.

Keywords: CORE; Chestnut Street YMCA (Louisville, Ky.); Louisville (Ky.); Nonviolence; Parties; Pledges; Quinn Chapel AME Church (Louisville, Ky.); Reverend Reed; Social life; YMCA; Young people

Subjects: Congress of Racial Equality; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; Youth

Partial Transcript: You were sharing with us, um, that most of the young people went to the Y...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham describes the greater amount of control most parents had over their children's actions in the 1960's, and talks about the involvement of both parents and children in protests. He tells how parents would support their children's demonstrations.

Keywords: Boycotts; Children's Center; Downtown Louisville; East Chestnut Street (Louisville, Ky.); East End (Louisville, Ky.); Louisville Male High School (Louisville, Ky.); NAACP; Parental control; Public accommodations; Sit-ins; West End (Louisville, Ky.); White Castle

Subjects: Louisville (Ky.); National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

Partial Transcript: Now, I think the judge became frustrated... with the repeaters.

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham talks about juvenile court judge Henry Triplett, who became frustrated at the frequent arrests of Cunningham and other protestors. He tells how he became friends with Judge Triplett several decades later. He also talks about an economic boycott of downtown Louisville.

Keywords: "Nothing New for Easter"; Adults; Downtown Louisville; Henry Triplett; Parents; Politics; Protestors; Repeat arrests; Voter registration campaign; Woodford Porter

Subjects: Louisville (Ky.); National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

Partial Transcript: Why was public accommodation so important?

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham gives his thoughts on the importance of public accommodations, and why there were so many protests concerning them. He shares the example of the Brown Theatre, which, in 1959, banned blacks from being able to watch Porgy and Bess, a movie with an all-black cast.

Keywords: Brown Theatre (Louisville, Ky.); Buses; Demonstrations; Movies; Porgy and Bess (film); Public accommodations; Public transportation; Shopping

Subjects: Louisville (Ky.); Segregation

Partial Transcript: Well, in terms of your, um, strategy for protest, did the NAACP in Louisville talk to the NAACP in Lexington...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham tells how each city in Kentucky had its own particular laws and ordinances, and that some customs were treated as being laws, even if they weren't actually on the books. He also talks about the Day Law.

Keywords: Day Law; Integrated colleges; Jim Crow Laws; Laws; NAACP; Ordinances; Police; Protests

Subjects: Berea College; Louisville (Ky.); National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; Segregation

Partial Transcript: How was it in terms of housing, neighborhoods, things of that nature?

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham talks about segregation in housing, specifically in neighborhoods in Louisville. He briefly mentions a time when several angry protestors gathered in front of his house, only to be disbursed by the police.

Keywords: Demonstrations; Housing; Police; Protestors

Subjects: Louisville (Ky.); Segregation

Partial Transcript: Now, you're, you're back at eighteen, and you just, have decided...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham discusses organizing Howard University's first Young Democrats of America chapter, his experiences in that organization, and in SNCC.

Keywords: College life; College majors; Direct appropriation; Freedom riding; GSA; Government; Sit-ins

Subjects: Carmichael, Stokely; Howard University; Segregation; Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (U.S.); Young Democrats of America

Partial Transcript: Now what other, um, organizations were, um, a part of activism as well. You had mentioned...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham describes his involvement with freedom riding and sit-ins while he was at Howard University. He also talks about the university itself, and shares why he chose to major in government.

Keywords: Arrests; College majors; Contracts; Crawford Gym; Freedom riding; Funding; GSA; Government; Kappa Sigma debating club; NAG; Nonviolent Action Group; Organizations; Politics; Restaurants; Route 40; Sit-ins

Subjects: Howard University

Partial Transcript: You were sharing with us, Mr. Cunningham, uh, how your activities in government...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham talks about the massive amount of effort that it took to organize the March on Washington in 1963, and describes his own contribution as a college student at that time. He describes travel arrangements for the march and other details.

Keywords: Charter buses; Frank Stanley, Jr.; Organization; Preparation; SDA; Students for Democratic Action; Trains; Volunteers

Subjects: College students; Louisville (Ky.); March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (1963 : Washington, D.C.)

Partial Transcript: NAACP, Urban League, everybody was participating in that.

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham describes the long train ride from Louisville to Washington D.C. to participate in the March on Washington. He tells how he and others passed the time.

Keywords: Cards; Charter coaches; Connie Cosby; Driving; Freedom songs; Interstate highways; Singing; Songs; Trains; Traveling

Subjects: College students; March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (1963 : Washington, D.C.)

Partial Transcript: Now why did you ma-- I mean, it's August.

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham describes how many of the participants in the March on Washington chose to dress up for the event, despite the heat. He mentions meeting Roy Wilkins, one of the leaders of the march, at a NAACP convention not long before, as well as several other well known civil rights leaders.

Keywords: A. Phillip Randolf; Bayard Ruskin; Civil rights leaders; Dressing up; Hats; Roy Wilkins; Speakers; Suits; Ties

Subjects: King, Martin Luther, Jr. 1929-1968; March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (1963 : Washington, D.C.); Wilkins, Roy, 1901-1981

Partial Transcript: When you were there at that march, for those of us who did not get an opportunity...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham describes the sheer enormity of the march, and the feelings that this inspired in him and other protesters.

Keywords: Crowds; Equality; Marches; Protesters

Subjects: Civil rights demonstrations; March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (1963 : Washington, D.C.)

Partial Transcript: What do you think was the outcome of the march?

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham discusses the outcomes of the March on Washington, especially in Louisville. He also talks about the impact of the March from Selma to Montgomery.

Keywords: "Bloody Sunday"; Civil Rights Act; John Robert Lewis; March from Selma to Montgomery; Public accommodations; Voting rights

Subjects: Louisville (Ky.); March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (1963 : Washington, D.C.); Montgomery (Ala.); Segregation; Selma (Ala.); United States. Civil Rights Act of 1964

Partial Transcript: And I don't know if we ever touched on this, but all during the movement, sit-ins, economic boycotts, were all tactics, but they never...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham talks about how the protest tactics used during the civil rights movement didn't change anything on their own. He tells how legislation also played an important role in making these changes.

Keywords: Boycotts; Legislation; Public accommodations; Sit-ins; Voter registration; Voting

Subjects: Civil rights demonstrations; Civil rights movements

Partial Transcript: When you talk about the 1965 Civil Right-- Voting Rights Act...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham describes the importance of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and points out that Kentucky is not covered under Section 5.

Keywords: 15th Amendment; Pre-clearance; Section 5; Voting districts; Voting rights

Subjects: Kentucky; Suffrage; United States. Voting Rights Act of 1965

Partial Transcript: You tell us about the first, uh, mayor or the first mayor-- mayoral race that you voted in?

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham describes his first time voting in a presidential election, and also discusses his work for the Democratic National Committee. He mentions reading the Courier-journal, and tells a story about his favorite newspaper cartoonist, Hugh Haynie. He talks about working for the 1965 Inaugural Committee, and keeping track of invites.

Keywords: Democratic National Committee; Inaugural Committee; Invitations; Invites; Presidential elections; Voting

Subjects: Courier-journal (Louisville, Ky.); Haynie, Hugh; Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973

Partial Transcript: After the Inaugural Committee... '65? I worked up on the Hill very briefly, then I came home.

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham describes working for the Education and Labor Committee, after working for the Inaugural Committee. He talks about his return to Kentucky, his involvement with a poverty program, and directing his church's youth choir. He also discusses his work with Norbert Blume.

Keywords: Church; Deborah Wolfe; Education and Labor Committee; Poverty programs; Youth choirs

Subjects: Blume, Norbert L., 1922-2011

Partial Transcript: And then when I came back... I'd been back a while, working for the poverty program...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham shares how he became Georgia Davis Powers' first campaign manager. He talks about her accomplishments as a candidate and senator, from his perspective.

Keywords: Board of Aldermen; Campaign managers; Chili; Open housing; Public accommodation; Senators

Subjects: Politicians--Kentucky; Powers, Georgia Davis, 1923-; Women politicians

Partial Transcript: Now you mentioned Mae Street Kidd and what was the other name?

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham describes how Mae Street Kidd and Hughes McGill were elected to Kentucky's House of Representatives. He states that they were the primary sponsors of the Open Housing Law in Kentucky's House, along with Senator Powers, who was the primary sponsor.

Keywords: Hughes McGill; Kentucky Fair Housing Act; Kentucky House of Representatives; Legislation policies; Open Housing Bill; Representatives

Subjects: Kentucky. General Assembly; Kentucky. General Assembly. House of Representatives; Kidd, Mae Street, 1904-

Partial Transcript: She's told us a little bit about her negotiation of that bill in a previous interview, uh, we did. Can you share with us some...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham shares his experiences working with legislation under Senator Powers, also mentioning other people he worked with. Some of the issues he mentions as being important to him include civil rights, the Martin Luther King Holiday Bill, and poverty programs.

Keywords: Civil rights; MLK Day; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; Poverty programs; Ray Jordan; Walter B. Hudson

Subjects: African Americans--Civil rights--Kentucky; King, Martin Luther, Jr. 1929-1968; Powers, Georgia Davis, 1923-

Partial Transcript: Let's switch a little bit now to some of the things that are happening in this day. You mentioned poverty.

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham describes the adverse effects that the emphasis on smaller government has had on poverty programs. In particular, he talks about student loans and debt, allocations for food stamps, and cutbacks in other key social programs. He describes programs that tackle these issues, and some possible solutions.

Keywords: Debt; Finances; Food stamps; Funding; Poverty programs; Student loans; Title I Schools

Subjects: Poverty

Partial Transcript: So tell us a little bit more about what does a lobbyist do. They make contact with the legislator...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham talks about lobbying. He tells how the NAACP's Washington Bureau tracks bills in the legislature, as well as producing an annual Legislative Report Card to track how well national politicians have addressed civil rights issues.

Keywords: Civil rights; Federal Civil Rights Legislative Report Card; Federal Legislature; Legislators

Subjects: Civil rights; Lobbying; Lobbyists; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Washington Bureau

Partial Transcript: What does the, um, current, uh, representatives from Kentucky, how do they fare on the report card?

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham discusses the voting records of several Kentucky politicians on civil rights issues. He states that he feels that their voting for or against these issues is influenced more by personal philosophy than political party, and mentions some Republicans who have supported civil rights.

Keywords: Civil rights; Conservatives; Democrats; Everett Dirksen; John Yarmuth; Moderate Republicans; Republicans; congressmen

Subjects: Chandler, Ben, 1959-; Cooper, John Sherman, 1901-1991; Kentucky; McConnell, Mitch; Paul, Rand; Politicians--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: When you say Kentucky... look at the... polling that took place during the presidential election...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham talks about the political climate of Kentucky, and how this has influenced politicians in how they vote on civil rights issues. He states that he feels African Americans often vote based on policies, rather than on their liking or disliking individual candidates.

Keywords: Affordable Healthcare Act; Conservatism; Healthcare; Minorities; Minority outreach; Polling

Subjects: Kentucky; Paul, Rand

Partial Transcript: There's a policy that you have a poster on, one comes into the...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham explains that Kentucky bars convicted felons from being able to vote, and shares how this adversely affects the African American community. He tells why he supports the automatic restoration of voting rights for felons who have already served their sentence.

Keywords: African Americans; Automatic restoration of voting rights; Disenfranchisement; Drug convictions; Drugs; Elections; Felons; Voting rights

Subjects: Kentucky; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; Prisoners--Suffrage; Race discrimination

Partial Transcript: This is Nieta Wigginton. I'm with Mr. Raoul Cunningham. It is...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham tells how, although bills for restoring voting rights to felons have overwhelmingly passed in Kentucky's House of Representatives, the Senate has yet to hold a hearing on any of the bills.

Keywords: Discrimination; Felons; Hearings; Judiciary Committee; Legislation; State Government Committee; Voting; Voting rights

Subjects: Kentucky; Kentucky. General Assembly. House of Representatives; Suffrage

Partial Transcript: You're also in a neighborhood which we spoke about briefly, uh, before we started our interview...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham talks about the NAACP's commitment to education, specifically in Louisville. He talks about some of the ways that the organization has worked for this goal, collaborating with other organizations as well.

Keywords: Churches; Collaboration; Equality; Integration; NAACP; School board meetings; School boards; Schools; Teachers; Tests; Voter registration

Subjects: Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka; Education; Louisville (Ky.); National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Louisville Branch

Partial Transcript: As you seek to make a difference in those students' performance, what are some of the other differences...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham describes some of the other major issues that the Louisville NAACP deals with, including voter registration, economic development, and discrimination of various forms.

Keywords: Crime; Discrimination; Drugs; Economic development; Job discrimination; Voter education; Voter registration; Voters; Voting

Subjects: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Louisville Branch

Partial Transcript: You've had a long history with the NAACP in Louisville. Can you tell us, uh, in your early days, just a few names...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham shares how the NAACP in Louisville was originally organized. He talks about Charles Henry Parrish, Sr., the first president of the chapter.

Keywords: Buchanan v. Warley; Charles Henry Parrish, Sr.; Charters; History; Scholarships; W.S. Malpen (??)

Subjects: Johnson, Lyman T., 1906-1997; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Louisville Branch

Partial Transcript: Salome C. Worthington... was a teacher in the school system for years. She left us a scholarship fund...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham talks about some of the scholarships that the Louisville branch of the NAACP is able to give out, thanks to the money bequeathed by previous members. He also names some of the current notable members of the branch.

Keywords: Dr. Mordean Taylor Archer; Graduate students; Hezekiah McClerand; Levi Alexander; Mae Elizabeth Kaufman; Salome C. Worthington; Scholarship funds; Scholarships; Students; Teachers; W.R. Meyzeek

Subjects: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Louisville Branch

Partial Transcript: If you don't mind, what I'd like to do now, um, Mr. Cunningham, um, is to go back on a few places.

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham tells how he became involved in work with both the Poor People's Campaign and the Kentucky Christian Leadership Conference.

Keywords: A.D. King; Chicago; Community Action Program; KCLC; Kentucky Christian Leadership Conference; Poor People's Campaign

Subjects: Chicago (Ill.); King, Martin Luther, Jr. 1929-1968; Poverty; Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Partial Transcript: The next question I want to ask you about, you mentioned that you were too young to vote for Kennedy.

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham recalls where he was and how he reacted when he heard about the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He relates this to how he reacted to the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy.

Keywords: Assassinations; Presidents; Public viewing

Subjects: Assassination; Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963; Kennedy, Robert F., 1925-1968; King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968

Partial Transcript: I'd like to switch to Medgar Evers' assassination. You had mentioned, um, before that you felt pretty safe...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham tells how Medgar Evers' assassination heightened his awareness of how dangerous civil rights work was. He also talks about the impact of Emmett Till's murder, stating that his mother would not allow him to travel to visit relatives in Alabama for some time after that.

Keywords: Alabama; Murders; NAACP

Subjects: Assassination; Evers, Medgar Wiley, 1925-1963; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; Till, Emmett, 1941-1955

Partial Transcript: Uh, when we were talking... you mentioned a few women. What was the role of women in Kentucky, when it comes to civil rights?

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham states that women were involved in every aspect of the civil rights movement in Kentucky, and that this was very important in Louisville. He also lists some notable women.

Keywords: Alberta O. Jones; Civil rights

Subjects: African American women; African American women civil rights workers; Leadership; Louisville (Ky.); Women

Partial Transcript: What has been your understanding of the Jewish community in Louls-- in Louisville's participation in the civil rights movement?

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham shares his views on the Jewish community's participation in the civil rights movement. He states that all of the clothing stores in Louisville that African Americans were allowed in during segregation were owned by Jewish families.

Keywords: Clothing; Clothing stores; Jewish businesses

Subjects: Civil rights movements--United States; Jews

Partial Transcript: Another issue that um, is discussed frequently, and recently just had major headlines, uh, that 52 percent of households...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham states that his mother was his primary parent, and shares how she supported him in his civil rights activism. He also shares how his extended family and the community as a whole supported him while he was growing up.

Keywords: Arrests; Church; Grandmothers; Mothers; Neighborhoods; Parental control; Relationships; Sit-ins; Summer camps; Upbringing; YMCA

Subjects: African American families; Families; Single mothers

Partial Transcript: And um, you have mentioned, there's been a thread in your conversation, about church. What has... the role of faith played in your...

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham discusses his involvement at his church as a musician and as church historian. He mentions that his church is the last place in Louisville that Martin Luther King, Jr. held a rally before his death a few months later.

Keywords: Arrests; Christian faith; Church; Church historians; Green Street Baptist Church (Louisville, Ky.); Historians; Musicians; Pianists

Subjects: Assassination; Christians--Political activity; King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968

Partial Transcript: We'd like to ask you too a little bit about the other individuals we've interviewed thus far.

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham discusses working with John Johnson, Maddie Jones and others involved in activism with the NAACP.

Keywords: John Johnson; Maddie Jones; NAACP; Unity Slate

Subjects: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Louisville Branch

Partial Transcript: Well, I'm going to ask you one more question.

Segment Synopsis: Cunningham states that he has never been married. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Singleness