A three-lecture series on Juneteenth will examine the past, present and future state of racial and social justice. Crystal Bradley, vice president of the , coordinated the series. UofL News caught up with Bradley to discuss Juneteenth and its continuing impact.

UofL News: How do you feel like our collective understanding of Juneteenth has evolved the past few years?

Bradley: There has been more awareness for everyone about the significance of Juneteenth, not just an awareness but a kind of freedom to celebrate the event as part of history. Juneteenth is not just Black history but it’s American history. It should be a positive thing and something that unifies us, not divides us. We can celebrate the idea of such an oppressive system of slavery being dismantled. You can imagine the enslaved getting this message that you don’t have to live this way anymore. That’s what we celebrate with Juneteenth, this message that you’re finally free from this oppressive system.

UofL News: What do you think is the most important thing that needs to be communicated about Juneteenth?

Bradley: Accuracy. Having a correct insight on history and the significance of it. It is not a divisive or taboo subject, and while it’s not pretty, it is American history and it’s our history to be embraced and shared by all. Information should be shared with everyone, so I think that’s the most critical part.

UofL News: How did the thematic concept of past, present and future – the idea of where we’ve been, where we are, where we’re going – how does that play into the struggle for racial equality?

Bradley: The Juneteenth event planning committee was deciding how to frame it, and we thought with everything going on this year, there are some people who want to rewrite history, and some just want to bury it altogether. With this theme of past, present, future, it’s kind of hitting the pause button on all of the noise to say, hey, let’s have an open, intelligent discussion with scholars and people who know about this subject matter. Let’s look back where we were as a community and talk about how the decisions made back then affected us, and how what we do now is going to affect us 20, 30, 40 years from now. We don’t want to stay stuck, so we need to have a vision to look forward. Our goal with this theme was to reflect, to pause and look at where we are and then to envision where we want to be in the future.

UofL News: Can you tell us a little bit about each speaker of the series?

Bradley: Monday, June 17th, Metro District 4 Councilman Jecorey Arthur is going to speak to our present component. One reason we chose him is because it is the 60^th anniversary of “freedom summer,” where in 1964, there was a big push to increase Black voter registration. That was in alignment with looking at how decisions we made back then plays into where we are now and the importance of voting, and how that plays into where and how we move forward as a society.��

On Tuesday, June 18, John Mays, former director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) for Yum Brands, also known as the “I believe I can – man,” is going to address the future aspect. He’s a dynamic coach, author, entrepreneur and DEI motivational speaker. He brings a lot of energy, and he’s going to speak to that vision that we can have for ourselves as African Americans and as Americans collectively.

June 19^th is the official holiday, so on Thursday, June 20, the Coalition on the History of the Enslaved, which is a partnership and a collective of four diverse groups here in Louisville, will close out our speaker series. These are scholars who have deep knowledge of all the historical facts and points and sites within Louisville and surrounding areas such as the Oxmoor farm. They will speak about the impacts of the past, and tie back to how it affects us now and going forward. There’s been a lot of talk of slavery and what it is and what it isn’t, but I guarantee after listening to this group�� we’ll all walk away knowing more than we did before.

UofL News: Where do you see positive/ negative movement in addressing racial justice issues?

Bradley: Positive movement is that people are feeling more empowered to take up that fight, because it is a fight when you are going against forces and groups that feel like a zero-sum game. If you have, that means I can’t have, when we can actually all have. It’s a long, tiring fight, but I am encouraged that people – Black, white, Latinx – are all willing to say no, we’re going to push back on this agenda. No, we are not going to accept that.

We’re going to continue to fight, and when they change the rules of the game, which they do, then we’ll adjust and adapt but we’ll continue to push equity and inclusion forward because it’s important.

What is negative is that for every step made to increase equitable solutions, the powers-that-be are there to knock you ten steps back. Now they’re passing legislation and controlling what goes on in the classroom and changing the narrative. They’re in powerful positions that can affect that kind of change. So that’s really discouraging, but we wouldn’t have come this far as a society, as a community, as a collective, had we just accepted other people’s agendas years ago.

Learn more about the .

This diversity extends far beyond race.��

Students benefit from being exposed to and building relationships with people of different races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations and backgrounds. It broadens their minds and strengthens their understanding of the world around them. It helps them understand issues they may never have considered.��

But promoting a diverse environment is more than philosophical. A diverse educational experience prepares our students for careers in an increasingly competitive and diverse workforce. Today’s students will be expected to navigate global issues and work collaboratively with those from different cultures and experiences. Today’s businesses rely heavily on the talents and contributions of employees from all backgrounds. More diverse and inclusive companies are more innovative and more profitable.��

We owe it to our students and our society to prepare our graduates for these realities. And we will not waver in our commitment.��

UofL will continue to expand its pipeline programs in diverse communities across the commonwealth and beyond. The UofL brand is synonymous with social mobility and transformative learning.�� We expect that our diverse population of students, faculty and staff will continue to grow in the years ahead. And we will continue to recruit and support students, faculty and staff who have backgrounds and experiences that enhance and uplift our entire university community.

Kim Schatzel, Ph.D.
President

Gerry Bradley
Interim Provost

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“Since I was very small, I’ve always been driven to learn,” said the Louisville native. “I’ve been analytical, curious, interested in not just why things are the way they are, but how they work.”

The bioengineering sophomore had several obstacles to overcome in life, including the loss of his mother as a young teen, along with mental health difficulties.

Frank, who was homeschooled through most of middle and high school, says “it was mostly just me on my own with the computer, figuring out what I was interested in. Engineering cropped up very early on as a potential choice, and it always appealed to me because it seemed to jive with my personality.”

After high school and a gap year, Frank attended Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC) to explore his options, but he kept finding his way back to his dream of engineering. However, in entrance testing at the community college, he discovered he was at a ninth-grade level in math.

“I knew if I wanted to do engineering, I had to get real good at math real quick,” he said.

In those early days, there were times when Frank spent four hours a day on math in addition to everything else, but he eventually got to a point where the concepts just clicked.

Applying to at University of Louisville was a relatively easy decision that felt like fate, said Frank.��Coming from a nontraditional background prompted Frank to encourage other students like himself who might not think they had what it takes to become an engineer. He volunteered with the bioengineering department to give a presentation at Moore High School, near where he grew up.

“I felt like it was important to reach out and speak to them — I was homeschooled, I had behavioral problems, substance abuse issues, but here I am a sophomore and I’m doing advanced calculus now for fun,” he said. “It is not impossible, it is absolutely doable, and they need to hear the message that there is always a way to rise above.”

Frank’s star continues to rise. He discovered his niche working at , an innovation hub sponsored by GE Appliances on the Belknap campus, created as a space for engineers and product developers to dream up new products.

“FirstBuild has been a blessing and an absolutely transformative experience for me,” said Frank.

Early on, he was given the responsibility for designing an assembly line in the manufacturing process for a new product. Within six months, he was promoted to Assembly Lead, and now co-manages and mentors 20 to 30 students.

“Jacob is naturally gifted at being able to solve problems and help people,” said Brenden Hoover, manufacturing engineer at FirstBuild and Frank’s supervisor. “He makes every employee we have a better employee. Engineering school is hard, and I think his story speaks loudly to those students who are struggling.”

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• Included a request in the upcoming budget for increased student support services, including for our LGBTQ and other diverse groups;
• Provided key training in transgender issues for student leaders, Physical Plant employees and officers in our UofL Police Department, with future training planned for additional members of the campus community;
• Assessed and begun to make changes to our housing procedures to ensure fairness to all students.

“I decided after completing a 6th grade career project in which students research their desired life occupation,” Alleyne said. “I don’t know how I came up with the idea. My cousin’s half-brother was a doctor, but I didn’t know him at that time. Following up on the career project, I did a report on Howard University, Dr. Charles Drew and other pioneering African American physicians.”

Born in Pulaski, Tennessee in 1932, Alleyne and her family moved to Louisville in 1941. She graduated from Central High School in 1949 and enrolled in the Louisville Municipal College for Negroes. She transferred to UofL in 1951 where she completed her bachelor’s degree with a biology major.

In 1953, Alleyne became the first African American female admitted to the School of Medicine.

“Transferring as a junior, I knew I could do college work. I am deeply religious and always had faith that with God’s help, I would succeed,” she said. “As part of the civil rights movement, my fellow students and I were inspired, knowing that we were making history and changing the nation.”

Although the university had been integrated, much of the city remained segregated. Alleyne took the challenges in stride and focused on achieving her goals.

“Since I had lived all my life under racial segregation, I had learned to endure it with equanimity and did not feel denigrated or put down by incidents that may have discouraged others,” Alleyne said. “I came to UofL to further my career goal and did not let anything distract me from that goal. It helps to be calm, brave and focused.”

Alleyne became the first African American female to graduate from the UofL School of Medicine in 1957. Encouraged by a friend who was in medical school at Loma Linda University, she moved to California where she completed her internship at Los Angeles County General Hospital.

She returned to Louisville for a pediatrics residency before finishing her residency at District of Columbia General Hospital in Washington, D.C., and taught there as a clinical instructor in pediatrics for Howard University. After getting married, Alleyne and her husband made a number of moves around the country.

Alleyne continued her education, earning master’s degrees in business administration and public health, and eventually returned to California. There, she served as a pediatrician and chief pediatrician at the Watts Health Center in Los Angeles and as a pediatric consultant with the Charles Drew Clinical Review Team for the Office of Economic Opportunity’s new Neighborhood Health Centers. She was a clinician and administrator with Los Angeles County Department of Health Services for 22 years. She retired from practice in 1999.

Alleyne encourages young people to pursue their goals with determination.

“Set yourself a goal and work toward it,” Alleyne said. “Don’t let other folks define your abilities and objectives.”

Recently, Alleyne’s daughter, Valerie Alleyne Udeozor, a professor of nursing at Santa Monica College in California, produced a documentary about her mother’s life journey, “.” In the film, Alleyne recounts her time at UofL and her experiences with segregation. Alleyne and Udeozor hope the film will inspire young African Americans to enter careers in medicine.

“Becoming a doctor is really a great career! However, it requires exceptional amounts of determination, money, energy and study. It is not for the faint of heart,” Alleyne said. “There are numerous other medical careers that don’t require so much of your life. You can learn a lot about medical careers while working in hospitals, clinics and other institutions.”

Alleyne advises those who choose to pursue a career as a physician to stay focused and remember that their work is a mission.

“Realize that it’s not just a job; it’s a service and a calling. Always do your best for your patients. Always be willing to listen and learn,” Alleyne said.

“Good grades are key. Make an ‘A’ in every subject that you can. Don’t smoke. Don’t drink. Exercise and maintain a healthy weight and a positive attitude! Stay strong! Keep the faith!”

Natesan Batley is a professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Development and interim associate dean for faculty excellence at UofL’s College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development (CEHD). Although she specializes in statistics, there is another side to her life. Natesan Batley is a three-time Indian National Champion of Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance form, and founder of Eyakkam Dance Company.

“The left and right sides of my brain are always fighting against each other. Dance is a nice creative outlet for my mathematical brain, so it gives me a good balance,” said Natesan Batley.

Natesan Batley has taken part in more than 300 performances and uses them to explore the vocabulary of the past to tell the stories of the present. Many of her productions highlight contemporary social and cultural issues, while others underscore the intricacies of classical literature. She has performed with jazz musicians, modern dancers, flamenco and tap artists, and Celtic musicians. Natesan Batley volunteered to teach dance to migrant workers in Lebanon where their only common language was dance. “Art transcends boundaries and Bharatanatyam especially does that because it relies so much on facial expressions and body language, which are universal.” She has directed shows with more than 75 dancers, an enormous task that she describes as “rewarding, educative and akin to herding cats.”

Recently, Natesan Batley was featured by Fund for the Arts in the annual “I Am An Artist” campaign. Each year they feature three-to-five artists whose primary profession is not art, but who excel at art as a second profession. For the campaign, Natesan Batley was involved in a video montage with other artists.

“Our jobs can consume so much of our time, especially as faculty, but when you love your job as much as I do, you are in awe that someone pays you to have fun with numbers,” she said.

Natesan Batley explains that research and teaching are her life’s work, but dance also has always remained fundamental to her existence. She owes much of her success to the encouragement from her husband, mom, brother and her guru.

“I have known dancers who have not been able to fulfill their dreams because they might not have the significant level of support that is required for being immersed in the arts. I also have a guru whom I consider a second mother. When we choreograph, we are in absolute sync with each other,” adds Natesan Batley.

Why Dance?

In addition to being a creative outlet, dance also has become a way for Natesan Batley to further her work in social justice. You may wonder what does an Indian classical dance form have to do with a place known for shaping future educators? She explained that by working in the CEHD, she connects her left and right brain with social justice as a driving force.

“I’m a statistician. I could work anywhere on campus, but I found a home here because the issues we address are close to my heart. As a college, we work with underrepresented groups, we talk about how to teach minority and Black and Indigenous people of color (BIPOC), and we talk about the well-being of BIPOC faculty.”

Natesan Batley started her journey in dance when she was 12 years old. In 2012 she established in Dallas, Texas, and is now based in Louisville. Eyakkam focuses on social justice, particularly in the practice of dance. Historically, Bharatanatyam has been subject to stereotypes and exclusion based on stigmas of the abolished Hindu caste system – a human rights violation that still exists in India and among the Indian diasporas.

Despite being involved in the dance form for more than 30 years, Natesan Batley has experienced exclusion from the Bharatanatyam community.

“I come from a mixed caste background and generally, people do not welcome someone like me. I am not seen as being part of that inner circle,” she said.

After struggling with the concept of not belonging, Natesan Batley realized that the world was her oyster. “I realized that what we do, such as being kind and compassionate, is what marks our identity – not belonging to a group determined by the roulette wheel of our birth,” she said.

Natesan Batley’s dance company seeks to reinvent Bharatanatyam by remaining true to the art while erasing the caste, religious and physical identities expected of dancers. Her dance company, Eyakkam, means “movement” in Tamil. She says although most Bharatanatyam dance companies choose a Hindu word or name with religious implications, she “wanted the name to be secular, so people understand that we don’t just dance. Eyakkam is not just physical movement. It is a political movement. It is a social movement.”

Eyakkam Dance Company serves the community through performances, workshops and teaching. In its community outreach efforts, Eyakkam has helped raise over $1.3 million to rebuild schools and facilities for children with disabilities, for organizations focused on water, sanitation and hygiene products in southern India.

Dance/USA Fellowship Opportunity

In October, Natesan Batley was named through Dance/USA, an organization that champions an inclusive and equitable dance field by leading and supporting individuals and organizations. The fellowship is funded by the Doris Duke Foundation.

As the only fellow from Kentucky, Natesan Batley will receive funding and have the option to participate in an emergent programming process that honors choices around connection, rest and desire. She plans to use her funding to produce a short film on sexual abuse and sexual harassment called “Dirty Secrets,” in partnership with Uniting Partners for Women and Children and the contemporary dance program at Indiana University.����

“For me, this award means recognition,” said Natesan Batley. “Not only for my work and what I have endured within the community in the form of discrimination but for what I am doing within the dance form. Just like I believe everyone can learn statistics, I believe everyone can dance. The Dance/USA community has embraced me and my work with open arms and that is a kind of appreciation I did not get back home even when I was the national champion. It makes me wonder what ‘home’ really means. By truly becoming inclusive, it is not just the art that can gain visibility, but the dancers who can truly evolve as humans.”

By Tessa Chilton, CEHD. Read more updates and stories on the .

Video courtesy,

“UofL is so pleased by these accomplishments, knowing there is more work to be done – but let’s celebrate success steps as we continue to break down barriers where they exist,” said Lee A. Gill, UofL vice president for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “The hard work of so many people across our campuses are leading DEI initiatives, and we thank them for their efforts over the years.”

“I’d like to give special recognition to Faye Jones and her team at HSC for providing innovative health equity programs; Marian Vasser and the entire Cultural and Equity Center for creating a national model for cultural centers; and Diane Whitlock, our division chief of staff for compiling and submitting data to the INSIGHT committee. All have been excellent stewards of UofL’s journey toward inclusive excellence,” he said.

Among the DEI efforts recognized by the award are:

• UofL’s Cultural and Equity Center.
• Louis D. Brandeis School of Law’s participation in the Kentucky Legal ����ֱ�� Opportunity Summer Institute, a program to��prepare students from low-income or historically marginalized backgrounds for the rigors of law school.
• Workshops led by the Graduate School, including Creating a Harassment-Free Lab; Attracting, Retaining and Supporting International Students; and Inclusive Teaching Strategies.
• Programs in the College of Business, including the Skills and Professional Development program for minority-owned businesses in collaboration with One West, and the Kentucky Distillers’ Association/University of Louisville Scholars Program.
• The School of Public Health and Information Sciences’ series��“Cardinal Conversations: Racism as a Public Health Issue.”
• The Summer Health Professions ����ֱ�� Program for first- and second-year college students interested in exploring a career in the health professions.
• UofL’s new Asian American Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group.

Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity, presented the HEED Award to UofL on Nov. 9 during the inaugural President’s Inclusive Excellence Forum, featuring keynote speaker , former president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.��

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The magazine interviewed Uqdah for a piece titled “Self-Care on Campus” that spotlights the most current challenges to student mental health and the work she has done to expand services at UofL. It also includes a list of wellness tips for students, starting with “Cut back on screen time.”��

To read more, .

Find more about the Counseling Center .��

“This particular day reflects the values that society shares – that all humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights. We all have the potential to contribute constructively to the development and well-being of our societies,” said Lee Gill, vice president, Office of Diversity and Equity.

Growing in understanding about diverse perspectives, members of the UofL and local community will have an opportunity to view the film, and participate in a campus conversation with , daughter of civil rights activists Medgar and Myrlie Evers-Williams.

As a young girl, Evers-Everette moved from Bayou to Jackson, Mississippi, as her father’s work expanded in the fight for equality. Then, at age 8, Evers-Everette witnessed her father’s assassination in front of their family home. Picking up the pieces of their life, her mother relocated the family to California. Evers-Everette went on to graduate from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in business merchandising. Following a successful career in communications for domestic and international businesses, she returned to Mississippi in 2012 to continue her father’s labor and legacy at the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Institute.

As the institute’s executive director, Evers-Everette has lectured on the subjects of youth awareness and involvement, consulted with organizations on training youth activists and coordinated with the U.S. Department of the Interior on establishing the Medgar and Myrlie Evers House as a National Monument. Inspired by her father’s courageous leadership and integrity, she works to advance the mission of cultivating positive social change, intergenerational civic engagement, social and economic justice and research on equity and social justice.

“As part of our year-long celebration of the significance of Juneteenth, and to educate the campus and general community about the impact slavery had and continues to have on the United States and the rest of the world, UofL is planning a year-long series that will culminate in the University of Louisville’s Juneteenth 2023 festivities,” Gill said.

UofL is working with Ambassador Attallah Shabazz, daughter of the late Malcolm X, to host the events. While most will focus on Black/African American descendants of enslaved persons, the series also will examine the histories of other peoples that have faced challenges in their quest to (re)gain freedom in other countries, as well as in the United States.��

Learn more about the upcoming .