Saving Stories

In this Black History Month edition of Saving Stories we hear from Kentuckian Charles Neblett, one of the founding members of the Freedom Singers which often performed as part of civil rights demonstrations in the early 1960's.

Recently the Nunn Center Rediscovered an old interview with Colonel Harland Sanders. Alan Lytle talks with Center Director Dr. Doug Boyd about what this reel to reel tape revealed about the restaurant icon's journey to success which didn't even start until after he turned 65. Mr. Sanders is also a member of the newest class of the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.

This week marks the twentieth anniversary of the devastating fire at Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown. In this episode of Saving Stories, WUKY's Alan Lytle talks with Dr. Doug Boyd of the Nunn Center for Oral History in the UK Libraries about the fire and its somewhat surprising aftermath.

Sure, Kentucky bourbon is arguably more popular than ever, evidenced by the oft quoted statistic that there are now more bourbon barrels in the state than there are people, but that wasn't always the case. In this episode of Saving Stories WUKY's Alan Lytle and Dr. Doug Boyd, director of the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History in the UK Libraries talk about the bourbon renaissance and share audio clips from the Nunn Center's ongoing Kentucky Bourbon Tales project.

In this episode of Saving Stories we hear from Effa Manley, a powerful co-owner of the Newark Eagles of the Negro Baseball League. She says the integration of Major League Baseball in 1947 hastened the demise of a business she and other black entrepreneurs helped create and sustain.

Today on Saving Stories Doug Boyd from the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History in the UK Libraries shares audio from Georgia Davis Powers. The Kentucky Civil Rights icon, the first African American and the first woman to serve in the State Senate passed away early Saturday at the age of 92.

WUKY turns 75 this week. To celebrate the occasion Doug Boyd from the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History and guest host Alan Lytle discuss the origin story for the radio station now known as WUKY, which began as WBKY, an ambitious community radio experiment in the town of Beattyville in Eastern Kentucky.

This week marks the 45th anniversary of the Kent State shootings. Alan Lytle and Doug Boyd from the Nunn Center recall student reaction on the UK campus.

A highly talented basketball team, top ranked all season long, heavily favored to win a national title...sound familiar? It should. In this special edition of Saving Stories we recall Kentucky's triumphant march to the title in 1978. Who better to talk about that historic run than Mr. Wildcat? Bill Keightley served as the team's equipment manager until his death in 2008.

As the University of Kentucky continues to celebrate its sesquicentennial we take a look back at efforts to desegregate the school. Lincoln County native George Logan, one of the first African American students to attend UK talks about the racism he encountered back in 1951.