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Before thousands marched in downtown Louisville for racial justice in 2020, thousands did the same in west Louisville during the 1960s.The unveiling on Friday in downtown Louisville was more than 50 years in the making. It was a surreal moment for the families of five men and one woman, known as the “Black Six.””She would love it. She loved history, she was a history major, so she would know that this would be an opportunity for people to ask questions,” said Cheri Bryant-Hamilton, the daughter of Ruth Bryant.Ruth was one of those arrested. Back in 1968, a week-long protest ensued after a violent encounter between a Louisville police officer and a Black school teacher in west Louisville.During the protest in the Parkland neighborhood, police falsely charged six people with conspiracy charges related to the rebellion.”The criminal conspiracy charges against them were dismissed in 1970,” said Mayor Greg Fischer.But the damage was already done, with some of those involved losing their livelihoods and more.”She sued for malicious prosecution and for the damages that were done to not just her but to all of the guys in the Black Six. It never went anywhere, it got anywhere as far as the federal court,” Bryant-Hamilton said.It wasn’t until 2022, more than 50 years after it happened, when a sitting Louisville mayor apologized to the members of the Black Six and their families.”That’s the apology that we had been waiting on for years and years. We never brought that up and never asked anybody to bring that up,” said Sam Hawkins, who was falsely charged.Now, this marker sits just feet away from another marker, one honoring the lives of Tyler Gerth, David McAtee & Breonna Taylor, whose death during an LMPD police raid sparked a similar movement in Louisville in 2020.”Hopefully, if they go see that, they’ll come over here & there will be an opportunity for discussion & learning,” Bryant-Hamilton said.
Before thousands marched in downtown Louisville for racial justice in 2020, thousands did the same in west Louisville during the 1960s.
The unveiling on Friday in downtown Louisville was more than 50 years in the making. It was a surreal moment for the families of five men and one woman, known as the “Black Six.”
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“She would love it. She loved history, she was a history major, so she would know that this would be an opportunity for people to ask questions,” said Cheri Bryant-Hamilton, the daughter of Ruth Bryant.
Ruth was one of those arrested. Back in 1968, a week-long protest ensued after a violent encounter between a Louisville police officer and a Black school teacher in west Louisville.
During the protest in the Parkland neighborhood, police falsely charged six people with conspiracy charges related to the rebellion.
“The criminal conspiracy charges against them were dismissed in 1970,” said Mayor Greg Fischer.
But the damage was already done, with some of those involved losing their livelihoods and more.
“She sued for malicious prosecution and for the damages that were done to not just her but to all of the guys in the Black Six. It never went anywhere, it got anywhere as far as the federal court,” Bryant-Hamilton said.
It wasn’t until 2022, more than 50 years after it happened, when a sitting Louisville mayor apologized to the members of the Black Six and their families.
“That’s the apology that we had been waiting on for years and years. We never brought that up and never asked anybody to bring that up,” said Sam Hawkins, who was falsely charged.
Now, this marker sits just feet away from another marker, one honoring the lives of Tyler Gerth, David McAtee & Breonna Taylor, whose death during an LMPD police raid sparked a similar movement in Louisville in 2020.
“Hopefully, if they go see that, they’ll come over here & there will be an opportunity for discussion & learning,” Bryant-Hamilton said.