Podcast appearances and mentions of Lyman T Johnson

Episode 29: Voices of Segregation: Lyman JohnsonHosts Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan are joined by Louisville, Kentucky native Lyman M. Johnson.  After attending the University of Louisville and spending time in the military, he also attended the University of Kentucky where he studied chemistry.  He spent his career as a chemist for Honeywell Corporation before working as an environmental chemist with the Environmental Protection Agency.  He now lives near Los Angeles, CaliforniaMr. Johnson's father Lyman T. Johnson was a leader in the American Civil Rights movement.  The first black man to be admitted to the University of Kentucky, after having to sue for the right to attend, he eventually was bestowed three honorary doctorates.  A building on the campus bears his name.  Our guest's grandfather Robert G. Johnson was a leader in the education of black students and served as a teacher and principal here in Columbia, TN.  Our guest's great-grandfather was born enslaved here in Maury County, and was able to purchase his freedom and that of his wife before becoming, himself, educated.  It's truly an inspiring American story.

The University of Kentucky is commemorating the 75th anniversary of the desegregation of its campus. In our latest edition of Saving Stories, Dr. Doug Boyd with the UK Libraries Nunn Center for Oral History shares audio from a series of interviews with Lyman T. Johnson; the first African-American student to set foot on the UK campus. Johnson successfully challenged a state law that prohibited students of different races to be educated together in the same classroom. The university had been getting around the 'Day Law' by sending professors to the Kentucky State University campus in Frankfort to instruct African-American students. That all changed with Johnson in 1949.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (February 8, 2024) – This year marks the 75th anniversary of Lyman T. Johnson's historic legal triumph against the University of Kentucky, a milestone that marked him as the first African American student to integrate the university. Johnson, a lifelong champion of education and its transformative potential, was an advocate for equality in both education and broader society, drawing inspiration from his experiences as both a student and a teacher. Johnson's lawsuit against the University of Kentucky proved successful, leading to his enrollment as a graduate student in the summer of 1949. While he did not complete his degree at UK, the enduring legacy he leaves behind echoes the principles he instilled in his students — the ongoing pursuit of equality and justice, and an emphasis on the role of education and independent thinking to help people navigate the path toward progress. UK alumnus and Lexington native George Wright is one of many who have benefitted from Johnson's efforts. Wright, a noted African American scholar and former president of Prairie View A&M University in Texas, attended UK in 1968 through a special program offered after the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., earning both bachelor's and master's degrees at the university.  Wright received a PhD from Duke University, returned to UK as an assistant professor, and then moved on to the University of Texas at Austin and eventually Prairie View. In 2019-20 he returned as a visiting professor in recognition of the 70th anniversary of integration at the university. At the end of that year, he remained at UK and took on the role of senior advisor to President Eli Capilouto.  On this episode of ‘Behind the Blue', Wright talks about the personal and community significance of Black History Month, the impact Lyman T. Johnson's victory had on his own UK experience and, as well as the impact on the cultural life of the university itself.  "Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show's blog page. To discover what's wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

Host: Mindy McCulley, Extension Specialist for Instructional Support, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension, University of Kentucky Guests: Dr. Alaine Reschke-Henandez, Assistant Professor of Music Therapy and Affiliate Faculty in Gerontology, and Erica Gabriel, Doctoral Candidate in Musical Arts, Alltech Scholarship Recipient, and Lyman T. Johnson Fellow Episode 10, Season 4 Our guests, Dr. Reschke-Hernandez and Erica Gabriel discuss how music therapy can impact the lives of those who are experiencing many different life situations.  Dr. Reschke-Hernandez also explains an study that is currently being conducted in conjunction with the College of Social Work to explore how music can impact the lives of older adults.  If you or someone you know would be interested in participating in the study, contact Dr. Allison Gibson through the email or phone number provided below.  

It’s Black History Month, and in this edition of WUKY's award winning history program Saving Stories Alan Lytle and Nunn Center for Oral History Director Doug Boyd revisit what it was like for African American students shortly after Lyman T. Johnson successfully desegregated the state’s flagship university; particularly the classroom dynamic for these young people. Lincoln County native George Logan , one of the first African American students to attend UK talks about the racism he encountered back in 1951.

Hosts Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan are joined by Louisville, Kentucky native Lyman M. Johnson. After attending the University of Louisville and spending time in the military, he also attended the University of Kentucky where he studied chemistry. He spent his career as a chemist for Honeywell Corporation before working as an environmental chemist with the Environmental Protection Agency. He now lives near Los Angeles, California Mr. Johnson's father Lyman T. Johnson was a leader in the American Civil Rights movement. The first black man to be admitted to the University of Kentucky, after having to sue for the right to attend, he eventually was bestowed three honorary doctorates. A building on the campus bears his name. Our guest's grandfather Robert G. Johnson was a leader in the education of black students and served as a teacher and principal here in Columbia, TN. Our guest's great-grandfather was born enslaved here in Maury County, and was able to purchase his freedom and that of his wife before becoming, himself, educated. It's a truly an inspiring American story.

In our latest edition of Saving Stories, WUKY's award winning history program, Dr. Doug Boyd with the UK Libraries Nunn Center for Oral History shares newly discovered audio from a series of interviews with Lyman T. Johnson; the first African-American student to set foot on the UK campus. Johnson successfully challenged a state law that prohibited students of different races to be educated together in the same classroom. The university had been getting around the 'Day Law' by sending professors to the Kentucky State University campus in Frankfort to instruct African-American students. That all changed with Johnson in 1949.

Dr. Wayne Tuckson is a native of Washington, D.C. & a graduate of both Howard University and the Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C.  He completed an internship in Obstetrics & Gynecology at the St. Louis University Hospital in St Louis, Missouri, and a residency in General Surgery at Howard University Hospital.  He then completed both research and clinical fellowship in colon & rectal surgery in the Department of Colon & Rectal Surgery at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio.  After a year as a Clinical Associate at The Clinic, he returned to Howard as an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery and as chief of the Division of Colon & Rectal Surgery. In 1994 he left Howard and joined the faculty at the University of Louisville, College of Medicine in the Department of Surgery as an associate professor.  He remained at the University for 7 years until July of 2001 when he left and started a private practice. KentuckyOne has employed him as a colon and rectal surgeon since 2008.  His clinical interests are in the treatment of fecal incontinence, the prevention & treatment of cancer of the rectum, the management of anal diseases, & the management of postoperative anal pain. To address the apparent disparity in health status in the minority & disadvantaged Kentucky populations, IN 1995, Dr. Tuckson organized The African-American Health Initiative, Inc, (TAAHI). The goal of TAAHI was to improve the “health IQ” or “health literacy” and encourage and foster more responsible participation, by patients, in their own healthcare. TAAHI sponsored conferences on topics such as cancer and healthy eating. To reach a broader audience TAAHI developed the TV show, Kentucky Health (nee Louisville Health). Today, Kentucky Health still airs on the KET network & is hosted & produced by Dr. Tuckson. He has been involved in many community activities including the Air Pollution Control board., Park Duvall Family Health Center board, & the board of the Louisville Metro Department of Health & Wellness. He has given many community presentations to churches, community groups, & local radio & TV news shows. He has received 2 Mayor’s Citations for community service in Louisville & The Thomas S Wallace Jr. Award for “Leadership Role in the Promotion of Health Awareness and the Well-Being of all Citizens of Jefferson County.” Recent recognition includes the “Lyman T. Johnson Distinguished Leadership Award in 2015” from the Louisville Central Community Centers, Inc & a “Real Black Men” certificate of recognition from the Louisville Defender newspaper. He is currently the president of the Greater Louisville Medical Society. Dr. Tuckson is married to the lovely Brenda B. Tuckson and has two sons named Wayne L. Tuckson and James H. Clay.  A current project of Dr. Tuckson’s is the documentation of the role of the Louisville Red Cross Hospital & African-American healthcare during the Jim Crow era in KY.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 26, 2019) – Throughout U.S. history, college students have often been catalysts of change. In the 1960s they led sit-ins, rallies, marches and demanded change on their campuses and in their communities. The University of Kentucky’s campus was no different. There were issues on campus, and a group of black students took up the mantle of creating a more inclusive and equitable community. Jim Embry, a 1974 UK graduate, got involved in civil rights activism at 10 years old as a member of Northern Kentucky CORE. His mother was the chapter president and took him to meetings and picket lines. A fire was lit within him that ignited a life-long passion for social justice. Embry was among the UK students who founded the Black Student Union which presented to President John Oswald a list of demands. From that meeting came a lot of big changes including the integration of the basketball team, the institution of diversity programs, the creation of African American history courses, the banning of the song “Dixie” and rebel flags at athletic events and an end to off-campus housing discrimination. While serving as the BSU president, Embry fought across Kentucky for social and environmental justice. After attending Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral in Atlanta, he helped to organize the annual Martin Luther King Day march in Lexington. His activism eventually led him to Detroit to work closely with Grace Lee Boggs as the director of the Boggs Center. As director, Embry helped create a vision for the Greening of Detroit and established urban gardens. He continued that work when he returned to Lexington in 2005 and founded Sustainable Communities Network. Change is rarely linear, it’s often cyclical and the issues faced in the past must be battled again. That sentiment has held true for addressing and combatting discrimination on campus according to current president, Tsage Douglas. Douglas, a junior double-majoring in public health and foreign language and international economics, leads the UK Black Student Union with the same passion and fervor Embry had all those years ago and still has. Douglas appreciates the changes that have taken place at UK since its founding, since it was integrated and since all those changes took place thanks to Embry. But, she came to UK to help it reach its full potential as an inclusive, affirming and diverse campus community. She, and other current members of the Black Student Union, have their own demands: more transparency, increased recruitment of black faculty and staff, increased financial aid for black students and the creation of a black student advisory council. As of today, the black student advisory council has been established and she and other student leaders are working with administrators on the other three goals. On this week’s episode of Behind the Blue, Embry and Douglas engage in a thought-provoking discussion about their role as change makers, their leadership of the Black Student Union and their vision for the campus community and beyond. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university. For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email BehindTheBlue@uky.edu or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Seventy years ago, Lyman T. Johnson forced open the doors of the University of Kentucky by becoming the first African-American student. He, along with countless others, opened a door and created a path for us to follow. It’s the idea that anyone -- regardless of who they are, the color of their skin, what they believe, how they identify themselves, or where they are from – can find a place at the University of Kentucky. Yet, our story demands that we acknowledge that progress on this path has not been a straight line. There have been moments where we have, as an institution, not honored our aspirations. Those moments provide a compelling reminder that building a community of belonging is a journey, not a project. This month, as part of Black History Month, we are chronicling the stories of the trailblazers, innovators and champions, who bravely stepped forward or are prodding us ahead today. Their stories speak to us and guide us still.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 25, 2019) — This year marks the 70th year of integration at the University of Kentucky, due to the efforts of Lyman T. Johnson, who broke the color barrier with his successful legal challenge in 1949. As progress has been made since that time, more can be and will be done. On this edition of the "Behind the Blue" podcast, University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto sat down with UK Public Relations and Strategic Communications intern Aaron Porter Jr. and discussed the importance of Lyman T. Johnson's historic action, the progress the school has made, and more room for improvement in the areas of belonging and diversity on UK's campus. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university. For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email BehindTheBlue@uky.edu or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Seventy years ago, Lyman T. Johnson forced open the doors of the University of Kentucky by becoming the first African-American student. He, along with countless others, opened a door and created a path for us to follow. It’s the idea that anyone -- regardless of who they are, the color of their skin, what they believe, how they identify themselves, or where they are from – can find a place at the University of Kentucky. Yet, our story demands that we acknowledge that progress on this path has not been a straight line. There have been moments where we have, as an institution, not honored our aspirations. Those moments provide a compelling reminder that building a community of belonging is a journey, not a project. This month, as part of Black History Month, we are chronicling the stories of the trailblazers, innovators and champions, who bravely stepped forward or are prodding us ahead today. Their stories speak to us and guide us still.