» civil rights The Bluegrass and Beyond - 2 views
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“All of the adults looked after all of the children. Everybody knew each other. Everybody helped each other.”
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Oakwood was special from the beginning. When the 106-home subdivision opened in 1964, it was only the second development in Lexington where African-Americans could buy a new house. The first, St. Martins Village, had opened a few years earlier, about a mile down Georgetown Road.
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Oakwood opened the same year that Congress passed landmark civil rights legislation that prohibited housing discrimination. Before that, such discrimination was not only legal but widely practiced.
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The subdivision was carved from farmland near the factories of IBM, Square D and Trane. Those employers were willing to hire African-Americans and pay them enough so they could afford an Oakwood home, which then sold for about $20,000.
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Those former Oakwood children remember how their parents emphasized education and hard work. “There was just no tolerance for not achieving
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This article highlights a truly unique place. I looked up some information about the subdivision and was delighted to know that it has virtually remained intact. Here are some statistics on the neighborhood: http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Oakwood-Lexington-KY.html