Remembering the Black Six: Event to share story of Louisville activists on trial

In 1968, Louisville officials accused six Black people of orchestrating a racial uprising in the Parkland neighborhood, during which dozens of businesses were burglarized and set aflame.

The defendants — known as the Black Six — each were charged with conspiring to destroy private and public property. And for two years, their lives were in limbo as they awaited trial.

In summer 1970, a judge threw the case out of court. But by then, it had already left a permanent mark on Louisville's history, a reminder of the ways the city repeatedly fought to quiet Black dissent.

Background: How a trial over the 1968 uprising in the West End stained Louisville history

On May 24, The Courier Journal, the Frazier Kentucky History Museum and Lean Into Louisville will host a panel discussion about the case, seeking to share lessons that can be applied today.

Panelists include Manfred Reid and Sam Hawkins, two members of the Black Six; Bill Allison, a defense attorney in the case; Ken Clay, a witness to the uprising; and Cheri Bryant Hamilton, a former Metro Council member whose mother was a member of the Black Six.

The event will take place at 6 p.m. at the Frazier, 829 W. Main St. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. It will also be streamed live on the Courier Journal's site and Facebook page.

It is free to attend, but a $10 donation is welcomed.

Register online at fraziermuseum.org/calendar/lets-talk-bridging-the-divide-the-black-six.

Reach reporter Bailey Loosemore at bloosemore@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4646 or on Twitter @bloosemore. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: https://www.courier-journal.com/baileyl.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville event to share story of historic Black Six trial