Interview with Roszalyn Akins, November 9, 2015

Partial Transcript: This is Betty Bayé and I'm interviewing Roszalyn M. Akins, a 2014 inductee into the Kentucky Commission for Human Rights Hall of Fame.

Segment Synopsis: Roszalyn Akins is introduced. She describes her family and childhood growing up in Lexington, Kentucky. She talks about transferring from an all-Black school to an integrated school, and her desire to keep up academically with the other students. She talks about her parents' occupations, and the positive relationship between her mother, stepfather, and father.

Keywords: "The Help" (film); "Tomboy"; All-Black schools; Blended families; Brothers; Christian faith; Constitution Elementary School; Cora Lindsay; Domestic workers; Encyclopedias; Fathers; Grandmothers; Husbands; IBM; Integrated schools; Linlee Elementary School; Miller family; Mothers; Names; Oakwood subdivision; Raising children; Reading; Remarried; Shiloh Baptist Church; Speaking; Stepfathers; Suburbs; Talking; Teachers; Twins

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African American families; African American neighborhoods; African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Relations with Jews.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Childhood; Lexington (Ky.); School integration--Kentucky--Fayette County

Partial Transcript: And tell us about that, that, that Black community where you grew up.

Segment Synopsis: Akins talks about growing up in a housing project in Lexington and the sense of community she felt growing up there. She talks about neighbors sharing food and looking after each other's children. She talks about why her family moved to the suburbs.

Keywords: Black community; Church; Cost; Dessert; Discipline; Houses; Housing projects; IBM:Changes; Oakwood subdivision; Poor; Sharing; Suburbs; Thomas Street (Lexington, Ky.)

Subjects: African American families; African American neighborhoods; African Americans--Housing.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Childhood; Neighborliness; Neighbors

Partial Transcript: Now here we're coming--I want to know about--this is the sixth grade, you moved to, to, to this neighb--to this suburban neighborhood.

Segment Synopsis: Akins talks about her experiences at Leestown Junior High School, including the many activities she was involved in. She talks about attending Bryan Station High School and being class president. She talks about her childhood desire to attend Transylvania University and her friend's encouragement of her dream.

Keywords: Active; Advocates; After-school activities; Bryan Station High School; Class presidents; Fathers; High schools; Junior high schools; Leestown Junior High School; Leestown Middle School; Minorities; Mothers; National Honor Society vice president; Parents; Student council; Transylvania University

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Social conditions.; African Americans--Societies, etc.; Childhood; School integration--Kentucky--Fayette County

Partial Transcript: So let's talk about that. Was that, was that--now you had already gone to integrated schools--

Segment Synopsis: Akins talks about being unhappy during her first year at Transylvania University, but says she adjusted and came to love the experience. She talks about being a pre-law major until an experience at her old high school with some teenage boys influenced her to change her major to education. She talks about being a substitute teacher while looking for permanent employment, and how she came to be a teacher at her old school, Leestown Middle School, where she taught for 27 years. She explains the significance of the name of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.

Keywords: "Calling"; "Making a difference"; Adjustment; African American males; Bryan Station High School; College majors; Experiences; Friends; Jobs; Leestown Middle School; Ministers; Money; Paul Laurence Dunbar High School; Prayers; Pre-law major; Retirement; Salary; School names; Self-esteem; Skipping class; Students; Substitute teaching; Teenagers; Traveling; Tributes; Unique; Washington, D.C.

Subjects: African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Education (Higher); African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Religion.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Education--Study and teaching; Integration; Teachers--Kentucky; Teaching; Transylvania University

Partial Transcript: So I retired in, uh--well let me back up and say, um, in 1982, um, I was at my home church, Shiloh, and we were having a conference there called the BUCLC...

Segment Synopsis: Akins talks about a conference at her church, Shiloh Baptist, which led to her meeting her husband, Reverend C. B. Akins. She talks about their courtship and their discussion about the importance of religion in their lives. She talks about how he came to be the pastor at First Baptist Church Bracktown.

Keywords: Alfonso Jackson; BUCLC; Commitment; Cousins; Dating; Deacon Julian Jackson; Doctorate; First Baptist Church Bracktown; Funerals; Husbands; Languages; Lexington Horse Park; Married; Minister's wife; Ministers; Paducah (Ky.):Dates; Pastors; Plays; Polite; Reverend C. B. Akins; Rupp Arena; Shiloh Baptist Church; Wakes; Youth

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African American clergy--Kentucky; African American families; African Americans--Education (Higher); African Americans--Marriage.; African Americans--Religion.; African Americans--Social life and customs.

Partial Transcript: Wow. And let's talk about--cause, cause Bracktown First Baptist was a s--little church, wasn't it?

Segment Synopsis: Akins talks about the Bracktown community as a settlement of African Americans who once worked for Darby Dan Farm. She talks about the activities of First Baptist Church Bracktown, including their outreach to college students. She tells the story of needing more land for the church, how God told her to pray with her women's choir for a specific plot of land, and how the landowner was eventually convinced to sell them the land for one dollar.

Keywords: "Settlement community"; 1 dollar; African American community; Black community; Choir rehearsals; Church members; College ministry; Communities; Darby Dan Farm; Detours; Kentucky State University; Land; Landowners; Prayer of Jabez; Prayers; Property; Sale; Scholarships; Settlements; Subdivisions; University of Kentucky; Vans

Subjects: Acquisition of property.; African American churches--Kentucky; African American neighborhoods; African Americans--Religion.; Church lands.; Church property.; College students--Religious life; Land use.; Lexington (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Well, you know, you happened to mention your son.

Segment Synopsis: Akins briefly describes her two children and their careers.

Keywords: Children; Daughters; Initials; Languages; Musicians; Names; Occupations; Sons

Subjects: African American clergy--Kentucky; African American families; African Americans--Education (Higher); African Americans--Employment.

Partial Transcript: Now let's talk about--

Segment Synopsis: Akins talks more about the history of the Bracktown community and First Baptist Church Bracktown.

Keywords: 1800s; African American community; Black community; Bracktown (Ky.); Darby Dan Farm; Integrated

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African American neighborhoods; Church lands.; Church property.; Land use.; Lexington (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Now Rosz, let's talk about--we've moved from--and everybody calls you "Rosz."

Segment Synopsis: Akins talks about retiring from teaching and says she was asked to become interim principal at the school. She talks about noticing academic and discipline problems among African American male students and creating a Saturday Academy in an attempt to help them succeed. She talks about the beginnings of the program, when only 40 students were enrolled, and how the program became more successful over time. She talks about the methods used to instruct the boys, not only in academics but in discipline, etiquette, and other social lessons. She talks about the importance of taking the boys on field trips to historically Black colleges, and tells a story of taking them to Washington, D.C. where they were able to tour the White House.

Keywords: "Acting white"; "Power Story"; "Well principles"; African American males; Atlanta (Ga.); Ben Carson; Black Male Working Academy (BMW Academy); Clothing; Discipline referrals; Dr. Cleveland; Etiquette dinners; Field trips; First Baptist Church Bracktown; Fraternities; Funding; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU); Leestown Middle School; Morehouse College; Parents; Principals; Reading; Retired teachers; Retirement; Saturday Academy; Scholarships; Smart; Social issues; Successful; Suits; United Way; Washington, D.C.; White House tours

Subjects: African American families; African American leadership; African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Teachers--Kentucky; Teaching

Partial Transcript: So in 2010 the superintendent calls me and he says, "Roz," he said, "I'm hearing all these great things that's going on out there with the BMW Academy."

Segment Synopsis: Akins talks about how, through the success of the BMW Academy, she was able to open the Carter G. Woodson Academy, an all-male college prep school. She gives many examples demonstrating the success of the students, including winning science fairs, college scholarships, and high standardized testing scores. She talks about her desire to create a middle school and an elementary school based on the same principles in order to reach at-risk students earlier in life. She tells emotional stories of the success of several of the academy's former students, including one who went on to play in the Prairie View College marching band. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: "Making a difference"; All-male college prep schools; Auditions; Black Male Working Academy (BMW Academy); Chicago Urban Prep School; Community; Comparative studies; Creeds; Data studies; Early BMW Academy; Faith; Funding; Grants; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU); Hopkinsville (Ky.); Impact; Jaynae Boateng; Junior BMW Academy; Louisville (Ky.); Marching bands; Miles Davis; Parents; Passion; Prairie View University; Pre-BMW Academy; Principals; Scholarships; School board; School dropouts; School superintendents; Science fairs; Successful; Trumpet players; United Way

Subjects: African American college students--Social conditions; African American leadership; African Americans--Education (Higher); African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Religion.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Teachers--Kentucky; Teaching