Kentucky's Ugly Underside

There are two Louisvilles, two Kentuckys - the open, hip, artsy, friendly one that welcomes people, champions integration (an historian I know says Louisville is the last city in the country truly dedicated to school integration), prides itself on Fairness. And then there is the one described in this article -separatist, privileged, old money lost in the 19th century and their own hatreds. That side is aided by the ignorant poor, whose isolation and prejudices keep them in an ugly funk and out of the economic mainstream. We're polite here. We don't like to talk about such things.

But the rest of the country does.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 03918.html

[Robin Garr]

As a born and bred and deeply rooted Louisvillian who's never been comfortable with this, Ken, I agree with just about everything you say. I'd add two small points in our defense, though.

First:

But the rest of the country does.

Not really. The WashPo story you reference talks about similar issues in Columbia and Baltimore. I'm afraid the upper-crust clubs in a lot of cities - and not just the South - have been the last to adjust.

I'd also note that the Jefferson Club started back in the '70s or early 80s specifically for the pleasure of business people of all races who were uncomfortable with the all-white Pendennis. (For whatever reason, the Jefferson Club went out of business this year, its books reportedly a mess. Some said there was really no longer a need for it. I dunno.)