WELCOME

Dear Friends!
Eighty years ago (1926), Dr. Carter G. Woodson established Negro History Week, which would eventually become Black History Month, to spotlight the many contributions African Americans made in America and around the world. Dr. Woodson was frustrated, to put it mildly, because America’s history books, at the time, did not comprehensively reflect how our great nation became so great.

I understand his frustration. Dr. Woodson knew that proper acknowledgement of Black America’s accomplishments would lead to even more pride and progress for all of America. He knew it was important for every American to know we are all a part of the foundation of this great nation - and without a foundation to stand on we would never reach the ceiling.

Black History Month is an important part of American culture. It is important because it is American history. It forces us to take notice of the unique contributions all have made to education, the arts, the economy and government. And know this, I intend to do more than just talk about diversity, I’m going to make it happen. I have charged Personnel Secretary Erwin Roberts to develop an affirmative action plan with 10% minority employment and over 52% female employment as my administration’s goals. This will represent the most diverse administration in Kentucky’s history.

And we won’t stop there. No longer will the commonwealth’s capitol continue to acknowledge members of its own family once a year for the shortest month. And one month a year is simply not good enough to honor the rich legacy that helped shape each and every one of us. Things are going to have to change. Let us begin to make that change now.

Black history is the history of all of us. Together, with every footstep accounted for, we will continue to forge new paths from the rich trails of Kentucky’s Black history.

Sincerely,
Ernie Fletcher
Governor
www.governor.ky.gov


Greetings!
Although she is gone, her legacy lives on. Coretta Scott King, the wife of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., died at the end of last month. She was 78 years old. Mrs. King, after the death of her husband, continued the struggle for civil rights and justice for all Americans. In so doing, she established her own place of honor in American history and created her own legacy.

It is because of the King family the Office of Minority Empowerment was created. Our office is here to implement the dream Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. so eloquently visualized for America and Coretta Scott King helped bring to reality.

This February, Black History Month, our administration will focus on moving Kentucky forward for all Kentuckians. Real progress is more than just talk it is what we can measure. The Fletcher administration takes Dr. and Mrs. King’s goals seriously. This administration has created the most diversified administration in our state’s history – and we won’t stop there. As Governor Fletcher said in our last issue, “We still have to work to ensure words like justice, economic opportunity, academic excellence, quality health care and safe streets have the exact same meaning for every Kentuckian in every county and in every community.”

The Office of Minority Empowerment will work tirelessly to carry the torch that has been handed to us by Coretta Scott King. Her light will continue to shine.

Sincerely,
Tierra Kavanaugh Turner
Executive Director of Minority Empowerment
Office of the Governor
www.ome.ky.gov


COMING SOON


UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS

Bill Watch
January - March 27, 2006; April 10-11, 2006
A free legislative tracking service in partnership with the Kentucky Legislature and The Legislative Research Commission, Kentucky.gov has created Bill Watch. This free service enables Kentucky.gov registered users unlimited tracking of legislation during the Kentucky Legislative Session. Specifically, Kentucky.gov registered users can:

  • Create their own profiles that organizes bills by subject or topical area by using search parameters (keywords, sponsors, committees, subject or bill number) that return a list from which you may select bills to add to your profiles.
  • Receive email notification to their registered email and mobile email account when new bills are offered or changed (from Agenda to Committee to Interim actions) based on the criteria you set up.
  • Bill Tracking is provided online and changes initiate email alert notifications.
  • Search and view online each bill's common title, sponsor(s), committee assignment, and most recent action via search, profile.
  • View online bill summary, amendments, history and full text details, committee assignment, and most recent action.

Register for Bill Watch at: https://secure.kentucky.gov/portal/registration.aspx.

Kentucky Legislature Toll-Free Phone Numbers – 2006 Regular Session:
Bill Status Line: 1-877-257-5541
Legislative Message Line: 1-800-372-7181
Calendar (meetings) Line: 1-800-633-9650
TTY Message Line: 1-800-896-0305
En Espaņol: 1-877-287-3134

BusinessWorks(tm) Construction Workshop Series
January 11, 2006 - April 7, 2006
Join the Louisville(tm) Enterprise Group, Louisville Real Estate Development Company and KMBC for the 2nd Annual BusinessWorks(tm) Construction Workshop Series. Click brochure for more information.

Affirmative Action Executive Order Signing
February 13, 2006, 10am
Capitol Rotunda

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Annual Scholarship
Deadline: February 15, 2006
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) have implemented a $50,000 annual scholarship program for students aspiring degrees in law enforcement or the biological sciences at Kentucky State University. The scholarship program provides recipients up to $15,000 for non-residential students and $10,000 for in-state students, annually, for tuition, room and board, supplies, books, and fees. In exchange, graduates agree to become KDFWR employees. Applicants must have already completed 30 semester hours with an accumulated grade point average of at least 2.8. All applicants must submit an official transcript, three (3) letters of recommendations and undergo a criminal background check. Scholarships shall not exceed six consecutive semesters.

Successful applicants must maintain full-time student status, a 2.6 GPA and a curriculum major in criminal justice or biology. Additionally, a contractual agreement must be signed, immediately upon graduation, to work for the department for a period of time equaling one year work/service for each year of funded scholarship. If the student violates the contract the student will be required to reimburse the total amount of the scholarship to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Deadline for the spring 2006 semester is February 15, 2006. For additional information, please contact Chantel Depp at 800.858.1549 ext 311 or via email at Chantel.Depp@ky.gov. To access more information regarding the Kentucky Department Fish and Wildlife Resources, please log on to http://www.fw.ky.gov/.

Women’s Day at the Capitol and Kentucky Women Remembered
March 2, 2006
RSVP By: February 24, 2006
Register here.

Historically Black Colleges and University’s Showcase
March 3, 2006, 8 am – 1:30 pm Students only; 6 pm – 9 pm Parents/General Public
Presented by AJHouston Enterprises, Inc. & The Lincoln Foundation. This college exhibition of Historically Black Colleges and University’s (HBCUs) from around the nation, premiering Kentucky State University and Simmons College will be held at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, KY. The Showcase is a multicultural exchange to raise awareness to students and parents about the opportunities of HBCUs. For more information, contact Adrian Shipley at 502.710.9012.

Lexington Central Kentucky Section of the National Council of Negro Women's Second Annual Leadership Summit
March 4, 2006
Just click here to register.

Homeownership Education Workshop
The Governor's Office of Minority Empowerment along with the Kentucky Housing Corporation announces the Come Home to Your Home, Yes You Can...Own a Home, Homeownership Education Workshops. The workshops are held around the state throughout the year.

If you need answers to your credit questions (no credit, credit problems, etc.), help with a down payment or closing costs, details about the home buying process, loan prequalification information, or home maintenance guidance and information, this workshop is for you. We can help! Register to attend our workshop when it's in your area by calling the Governor's Office of Minority Empowerment, 502-564-2611 ext. 370 or send an e-mail to kyome@ky.gov.

Don't pass up this opportunity to learn how to become a successful homeowner.

The Come Home to Your Home workshops are currently scheduled for:

March 25, 2006, 9 am - 2 pm: Boyle County area
May 20, 2006:
9-11 am: Frankfort, KY area (This will be a Budget/Credit Class only)
2-4 pm: Shelbyville, KY area (This will be a Budget/Credit Class only)
July 22, 2006, 9 am - 2 pm: Christian County area
August 19, 2006, 9 am - 2 pm: McCracken County area
September 23, 2006, 9 am - 2 pm: Hardin County area
November 18, 2006, 9 am - 2 pm: Jefferson County area

Louisville Urban League 12th Annual Career Expo
March 15, 2006, 10 am – 5 pm
Detailed information here

Third Annual Presentation of a Musical Heritage Celebration
March 3, 2006, 7:30 pm
In Memory of the late Dr. Roy P. Peterson. The event will be held at Memorial Hall, 610 S. Limestone St. (adjacent to the College of Law), University of Kentucky Campus, Lexington, KY.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION HAPPENINGS!
Black History Month has been celebrated since 1926 as a way to honor the contributions of black Americans.

The Kentucky Historical Society
February 1 – 28, 2006

Patrick Henry Davenport paintings of Dennis and Diademia Doram
KHS is displaying handsome portraits of a stately nineteenth-century couple side by side on permanent exhibit in the Kentucky Journey gallery at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History. KHS states that, “Though portraits of prominent nineteenth-century couples are not unusual, the Doram portraits are extremely rare. This affluent couple was African-American, living free and apparently prosperously in the antebellum south.”

Museum Theatre: Nothing New for Easter: Shopping for Civil Rights
Saturdays, 1:30 & 3:30 p.m., Center for Kentucky History
Travel back to 1960s Louisville with young Mattie Eleanor Lewis as she takes her place in the growing civil rights movement. Free with admission. To learn more, contact Greg Hardison, 502-564-1792 ext. 4454.

Genealogy Workshop: African American Genealogy
Saturday, February 11, 12:30-4 p.m., Martin F. Schmidt Library, Center for Kentucky History
Successful African American genealogy requires the overcoming of several research challenges, including the limitations of available records and the use and adoption of surnames in past centuries. This course explores resources available for African American research and the methods employed by successful genealogists. One and a half hours of research time is included. For more information, contact Beth Shields, 502-564-1792 ext. 4421.

PBS Special: Slavery and the Making of America
February 9 & 16, 2006, 9 to 11 pm
The special is a four part series produced by Dante James, and narrated by Morgan Freeman. Dante is an incredible filmmaker who has produced many award winning films among them biographies on Marian Anderson and A. Philip Randolph. He worked with the late great filmmaker Henry Hampton at Blackside and was the executive producer of Hampton's last series This Far by Faith: African American Spiritual Journeys.

Slavery and the Making of America tells the story of slavery from the point of view of the enslaved. The series recognizes the strength, humanity and dignity of the enslaved and redefines them as pro-active freedom fighters not passive victims. For more information on the series visit: http://www.pbs.org/slavery or http://www.slaveryinamerica.com/

Warriors in the Shadows: Women of the Underground Railroad
February 1 – March 30, 2006
Grand Opening: February 10, 2006, 4 to 6 pm
This is an Educational and Social History Photographic Exhibit to be held at the W.T. Young Library, University of Kentucky. Research and compilation by Professor Doris Wilkinson, Exhibit Curator. The Exhibit is free and open to the public.

Greenbo Lake State Resort Park
February 16, 2006, 5 pm
Derrick Ramsey, Deputy Secretary of Kentucky’s Commerce Cabinet and a former quarterback for the University of Kentucky football team, will be the keynote speaker at Greenbo Lake State Resort Park’s Black History Month celebration on Feb. 16. The evening begins at 5 p.m. with an old-fashioned country buffet and will continue through 9 p.m. Ramsey is scheduled to speak at 6 p.m. The evening also will include performances by the I-Town Soldiers Step Team, under the direction of Mrs. Annette Scott, the First Baptist Church of Burlington’s Ohio Men’s Choir and gospel singer Miss Angela Linthicum. Works from well-known African American artist Jerry Johnson will be displayed in the Jesse Stuart Lodge Lobby. Greenbo Lake State Resort Park is located 7 miles off HWY 23 which is known as “The Country Music Highway”. Please RSVP by February 13th to: Jill Kemper, Group Sales and/or Ida Worsley, Front Desk Supervisor at 800-325-0083.

Black History Month Celebration in the Capitol Rotunda
February 23, 2006, 12:30 pm
Focus on tremendous contributions made to the Commonwealth by our Black citizenry.


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PLACES OF INTEREST

Kentucky's Historical African American Parks

African-American Family History Resources

African-American Trail Map Lexington

Paris-Bourbon County Tour of African American Sites

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The mission of the Commonwealth’s Personnel Cabinet is to take care of state government employees, as well as, those seeking employment with the state. Thus, we invite you to peruse their website at http://personnel.ky.gov/employment/meritsystem.htm We are confident you will find the information beneficial.

Kentucky State Police
Applications are now being accepted. Find out how you can become a Kentucky State Trooper.

Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources:
* Communications Dispatcher I
* Conservation Education Program Leader I
* Fisheries Biologist I
* Wildlife and Boating Law Enforcement Officer Recruit

To learn more about these jobs and how to apply, please click KDFWR to view their website.

Kentucky Department of Corrections
The Kentucky Department of Corrections is seeking applicants for the following positions:

CORRECTIONAL OFFICER – Beginning Salary: $22,027.20. DUTIES: Stands watch in corridors of buildings, towers, and other security posts. Takes required action during emergencies to prevent escapes and suppress disorders. Oversees inmates/patients inside and outside the institution. Takes periodic counts of inmates/patients. Searches inmates/patient’s person, mail and quarters for contraband. Makes written reports on violations on institutional rules. Takes proper use of weapons. Transports inmates/patients. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: High school graduate or GED. Must be twenty-one years of age.

PROBATION & PAROLE OFFICER - Beginning Salary: $27,483.36. DUTIES: Supervises and counsels all assigned probationers, parolees and other designated clientele. Interviews client to gather information. Maintains dialogue with client. Investigates and verifies information. Advises client of legal rights. Formulates, develops and monitors plan of supervision for client. Acts as liaison between client and legal and enforcement authorities. Makes contacts, referrals and arrangements for client’s housing, employment, education, etc. Prepares and maintains detailed client records and reports. Provides testimony and evidence in hearings or trials concerning violation of terms of probation or parole. When necessary, arrests and/or transports violators to proper authority. Prepares all necessary documentation requested by courts, central office, or Parole Board for hearings or legal purposes. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: Bachelor’s degree. Must be twenty-one years of age.

Hiring for these two positions are on an on-going basis. For more information on these positions, please contact Teresa Harris, Recruitment Branch Manager, P.O. Box 2400, Frankfort, Ky. 40602. Telephone: 502-564-4636; Fax 502-564-3571; Email at teresa.harris@ky.gov

The Department of Corrections is actively involved in the recruitment and promotion of minorities and is committed to building a more diversified work force that will best represent all people, regardless of race or gender. The Department has worked diligently to promote job fairs throughout the state with emphasis on minority hiring. As a result of this endeavor, over 300 new employees were hired in 2005, with the majority being African-American. These series of job fairs proved to be a true testament that carefully planned recruitment efforts can be successful. For the first time in history, the Department achieved a record of 11% African-American female workforce, with total minority hiring averaging 16.6% in 2005.

Parks Department Seasonal/Interim Employment
Application Deadline: March 3, 2006
For more information click here; for an application click here.

Louisville Metro Government
Application Deadline: February 28, 2006
* Office for International Affairs Internship Program
* Office for Women Internships

STAR (Systematic Treatment of Autism & Related Disorders) Employment Opportunities
* Speech Language Pathologist
* Occupational Therapist Position
* Behavior Therapist (Field Training Coordinator)

For more information on these positions please click here

Kentucky Educational Television (KET)
Please click here to see KET Internships available.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER M/F/D

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BUSINESS

Interested in doing business with the Commonwealth? One must be registered to do so. All potential vendors seeking a contract with the Commonwealth and/or wanting to be notified of opportunities to do business with the Commonwealth should be registered. Registration allows vendors the opportunity to identify products and services they wish to offer to the Commonwealth. In addition, vendor registration makes it easier for agencies to find your company. Vendors may register and review current bid opportunities on the eProcurement website: https://eprocurement.ky.gov/. A vendor registering for the first time may go to the New Vendor Registration section on the eProcurement page and provide the requested information.

ATTENTION NEW CONTRACTORS! If you are interested in viewing the Transportation Cabinets' "Notice to Contractors," please visit their web page at: http://transportation.ky.gov/contract/. This is a listing of all upcoming projects to be bid upon during the upcoming letting. If you have any questions, please contact the Transportation Cabinet at 502-564-3500

KMBC Business Card Exchange
February 9, 2006, 5 – 7 pm
This event will take place at the Valhalla Golf Club, 15503 Shelbyville Road, Louisville, KY. Free parking is available. Please RSVP to: Toni Dunbar at 502-625-0147 or tdunbar@kmbc.biz

Informational Meeting to be Held for Shawnee Landscaping Projects
February 10, 2006, 9 am
The Governor’s Office of Minority Empowerment and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will be hosting an informational conference regarding upcoming landscaping projects along the Shawnee Expressway. The informational meeting will be held at the Louisville Urban League, 1535 West Broadway. Representatives will be on hand to answer questions regarding the scope of the work for the landscaping projects and contractor prequalification requirements. In addition to the Governor’s Office and the Transportation Cabinet, representatives from the Finance Cabinet, Commerce Cabinet and the Governor’s Office for Local Development will be in attendance.

2006 KSU Roundtable on Entrepreneurship Schedule & Topics

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NEWS OF INTEREST

Black Student College Graduation Rates Inch Higher
The nationwide graduation rate for all black students at the more than 320 large universities that make up Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association increased from 40 percent in 2004 to 42 percent in 2005. The graduation rate for white students at these schools increased from 61 percent to 62 percent. Therefore, the graduation rate gap decreased by one percentage point. But this small improvement does not detract from the fact that the racial college graduation rate gap remains very large.

If we include data on gender, we find that over the past year the college graduation rate for black men increased from 34 percent to 35 percent. For black women, the college graduation rate increased from 45 percent to 46 percent.

Note: The graduation rate is determined by comparing the number of students who entered a particular institution with those who earned their four-year degree at the same institution within six years

Public Elementary School Teachers
• 12.3% - Black percentage of all public elementary school teachers in the United States in 1982.
• 8.7% - Black percentage of all public elementary school teachers in the United States in 2004.(Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
Source: The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education

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HEALTH NEWS

February is National Heart Month. Click on the below logo to learn more and to see how you can have and keep a healthy heart

African American Women at Higher Risk of Heart Disease
Contact: Brian Boisseau, (502) 564-7996
February has been named American Heart Month, raising awareness that heart disease is the nation’s leading cause of death. While heart disease is often seen as a “man’s disease”, more women die of heart disease annually than men. During this month, the Kentucky Department for Public Health wants African American women to be aware that they are at great risk for heart disease and strongly encourages them to take action to prevent it.

Statistics on heart disease show alarming disparities. In Kentucky, more women die each year from heart disease than men. Also, more women die of heart disease than all cancers combined, yet only 20 percent of women identify heart disease as the greatest health problem facing women today and most fail to make the connection between its risk factors and their personal risk of developing heart disease.

Moreover, 77 percent of African American women are overweight or obese, a leading risk factor for the development of heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, hypertension is also a very powerful risk factor for heart disease in African American women. Nearly 42 percent of African American women have high blood pressure, more than any other racial/ethnic group.

“Women can lower their risk of heart disease by educating themselves and following guidelines necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle,” said DPH Commissioner William D. Hacker, M.D. “I cannot stress enough how important it is to know the risk factors, how to avoid them and to follow the advice of your health care provider. The lessons of Heart Month should not be put away after February comes to an end, but remembered and observed throughout a person’s life.”

It is important to note that risk factors may not be universal indicators for heart disease among white and black women. For instance, there is a higher rate of hypertension among black women than white women. Yet, a higher percentage of white women have high cholesterol than black women. Even among black women, high death rates of heart disease exist regardless of weight.

The important thing to know this Heart Month is your personal risk of heart disease and to take action. The best advice is to talk to your health care provider about what you can do to lessen your risk of heart disease.

Some common sense recommendations are to quit smoking, exercise more and eat less salty and fatty foods and include more fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet. Get your blood pressure checked regularly. If it’s over 140/90, ask your health care provider how to lower it.

This February, make a change for your heart. Wear red on Feb. 3 and let everyone know you want to make a difference for African American women and heart disease awareness.

African Americans, Diabetes, and Heart Disease: How to Beat the Odds
Contact: Linda Leber, RN, BSN, CDE, (502) 564-7996
African Americans are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, and two out of three people with diabetes die of a heart attack or stroke. This is serious business. But you can work to beat the odds. You can take action to help prevent heart attack and stroke.

For people with diabetes, a key to preventing heart attack and stroke is to control the ABCs of diabetes: blood glucose (“sugar”), blood pressure, and cholesterol. A is for the A1C, a test measuring average blood glucose control over three months. B is for blood pressure. C is for cholesterol.

Take control. Ask your health care provider what your ABC numbers are, what they should be, and what you can do to reach those goals. And during American Heart Month (February), the Kentucky Diabetes Prevention and Control Program (KDPCP) and the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) offer some lifestyle tips for how people with diabetes can help prevent heart attack and stroke and live a long, healthy life.

  • Be physically active everyday. Playing sports, dancing, walking, or even doing household chores help you lose weight and lower your blood pressure. Aim to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity, most days of the week.
  • Eat less fat and salt. Instead of reaching for the salty fries, choose a side salad.
  • Add more fiber to your diet by choosing whole grains, vegetables, and beans.
  • Stay at a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke.
  • Stop smoking. Smoking is one of the major risk factors associated with heart attack and stroke. Ask your health care provider for help to quit.
  • Take your medicines as prescribed. Also ask your doctor about taking aspirin.
  • Ask for help. A little encouragement and support go a long way. Ask your family and friends to help you stay on the right track.

The NDEP’s be Smart about Your Heart. Control the ABCs of Diabetes campaign offers tools to help people with diabetes and their loved ones control their diabetes and prevent heart attack and stroke. Visit NDEP online at http://www.ndep.nih.gov/ and click on the Be Smart logo for more information. For more diabetes information, visit the KDPCP website www.chfs.ky.gov/dph/ach/diabetes.

Minority Health Disparities: Learn more about what the Cabinet for Health & Family Services is doing.

View the Cabinet for Health & Family Services (CFHS) Wellness Website

CHFS Focus on Wellness monthly newsletter

National Women's Health Indicators Database - National, regional, state and county data are available by gender, race, ethnicity and age at the National Women's Health Indicators Database. The website allows users to customize tables, graphs and maps.

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PEOPLE OF INTEREST

Alice Allison Dunnigan
Journalist
1906-1983

Associated Negro Press Reporter Allison Dunnigan's life's work was to tell the true story of injustices against the African American population and of progresses made in civil rights.

Born in Russellville in 1906 to poor and unlettered parents, Dunnigan began writing items for the Owensboro Enterprise at the age of thirteen. After she completed the teaching course at what is now Kentucky State University, Dunnigan taught Kentucky History in the segregated Todd County School System.

When she noticed that her students were not aware of the contributions of African Americans to the health and welfare of the Commonwealth, Dunnigan prepared "Kentucky Fact Sheets," which she gave to students as supplements to the required text. By 1939, these articles had been collected into manuscript form but no publisher was found until 1982 when The Fascinating Story of Black Kentuckians. Their Heritage and Tradition was published by the Associated Publishers, Inc.

After moving to Washington, D.C., during World War II, Dunnigan worked as a clerk typist for the War Labor Board, as an economist for the Office of Price Administration and as a part-time reporter for the Associated Negro Press. In 1947 she became chief of the Washington Bureau and was the first African American female correspondent to receive White House credentials. By 1951 her reputation in newspaper circles and across the country was solidly built on her "no-holds barred" way of reporting both the progress being made in civil rights as well as the instances in which corporations, individuals, and organizations demonstrated their racist ideology.

In her autobiography, Alice A. Dunnigan: A Black Woman's Experience, she recounts some of the many indignities she suffered while traveling on behalf of President John E Kennedy's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity. She recalls one reception at the Russian Embassy in 1959 when her taxi driver assumed she was a servant and warned her not to let anything happen to the food for Khrushchev. Standing outside the Embassy, one of the local society page writers assumed that a Black woman dressed in evening wear was obviously the wife of a diplomat! "Nobody," she writes, "seemed to think that a Black woman could attend a white diplomatic affair as just an ordinary guest."

Alice Allison Dunnigan received over fifty national and international awards for news reporting, including an honorary doctorate degree from a Colorado College.

Effie Waller Smith
Poet
1879-1960

Poet Effie Waller Smith was born in Pike County on January 6, 1879. Both parents were former slaves who provided all of their children a degree of education far beyond the norm at a time when educational opportunities for those in eastern Kentucky were very limited. All the children in Smith's family attended local segregated schools and all gained their teaching certificates and further education at the Kentucky State Normal School for Colored Persons.

Smith's mother supplied the love and care that protected and insulated the children from harsh realities of the racial situation in the decades prior to 1900. Those days were the happiest and most carefree of Effie Waller's life, and she often alluded to them in her writing. They were a safe haven, in contrast to the realities of racial hatred and discrimination that she found in the world away from home.

"Autumn 1896,"a poem in her first book of poetry, shows that Smith was extremely well read in classical literature and aware of what other popular writers of her day were doing, but she was also painfully aware of her situation in respect to racial origin and the difficulties that she would encounter because of her race.

In 1904, Songs of the Months was her first major work to be recognized. It is interesting to note that Mary Elliott Flanery, the first woman elected to a Southern state legislature, helped finance her first effort. Flanery penned an ardent introduction to Songs imploring readers to give "Miss Effie," as she was known, a chance to impress.

Smith's poems depict life on the Cumberland Mountains, circa 1900, and reveal what her own life was like. These include such poems as "Berrying Time," "The Corn-husking," "Decoration Day, "and "The Colored Soldiers of the Spanish-American War." Her poems frequently express the tension between her desire to be at one with nature and at the same time a student of school learning.

One of her most powerful, artistic statements about life, "The Faded Blossoms," appeared in the Independent magazine in 1911, just a few months after her husband, Charles, a deputy sheriff from whom she was separated, was murdered while serving a warrant.

Effie Waller Smith left three volumes of verse, three short stories, and a few poems she wrote for exclusive literary magazines, all published during an intense thirteen-year period. She died in 1960 in total obscurity.

Source: http://www.wfpl.org/Women/writers.htm

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