Breya Jones

1 week ago | lpm.org | Breya Jones

Up to 10 filmmaking teams, made up of a director and producer, could be part of the inaugural 502 Film Front Porch Film Lab cohort. The new fellowship, which is open to teams living in Jefferson, Oldham, Spencer, Bullitt and Shelby counties, would provide up-and-coming filmmakers a chance to connect with mentors and guest speakers over the 10-day intensive. “We have so many incredible creatives and incredible storytellers right here within this region.

2 weeks ago | lpm.org | Breya Jones

Alberta O. Jones was one of the first Black women to pass the Kentucky Bar exam. She was the first woman appointed to the city attorney’s office in Jefferson County. She represented a young Muhammad Ali in business deals. And she worked to get scores of Black Louisvillians registered to vote. Now, she may be the first Black woman to have a statue in downtown Louisville. Jones’s promising life was cut short when she was murdered in the summer of 1965 at 34 years old. Police have not solved her case.

3 weeks ago | lpm.org | Breya Jones

In March 1968, Louisville Alcoholic Beverage Control officers shut down Dixie Sherman Demuth’s downtown bar for five days. Demuth’s violation? She had a woman sitting at the bar and another woman serving drinks behind the bar. Both were breaking state laws that regulated what women could do at a place serving liquor. Demuth challenged the law and in May 1972, the Kentucky Supreme Court agreed with her and struck down the laws.

3 weeks ago | lpm.org | Breya Jones

Longtime Smoketown business-owner Shirley Mae Beard earned a reputation for slow-cooked, home-cooked meals that kept customers coming back for years. But she did more than cook — she elevated the history of Black jockeys in the Kentucky Derby, she shared secrets and fostered community. She died in January. Today, her children keep her legacy running one plate of food at a time.

1 month ago | lpm.org | Breya Jones

Hannah Nitzken remembers feeling jealous when she was younger, watching her grandfather perform in the Thoroughbreds, a long-standing barbershop choir. She wanted to be a part of something similar — but for decades, barbershop-style singing was dominated by men. Groups with women and non-men weren’t permitted to join the Barbershop Harmony Society, the largest barbershop organization in the country until 2018.