West Louisville and the Kentucky Derby Festival
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University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Geography Geography 2015 CARNIVAL, PROTEST, AND COMMUNITY IDENTITY: WEST LOUISVILLE AND THE KENTUCKY DERBY FESTIVAL Benjamin L. Blandford University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Blandford, Benjamin L., "CARNIVAL, PROTEST, AND COMMUNITY IDENTITY: WEST LOUISVILLE AND THE KENTUCKY DERBY FESTIVAL" (2015). Theses and Dissertations--Geography. 29. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/geography_etds/29 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Geography at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Geography by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. 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Blandford, Student Dr. Richard Schein, Major Professor Dr. Patricia Ehrkamp, Director of Graduate Studies CARNIVAL, PROTEST, AND COMMUNITY IDENTITY: WEST LOUISVILLE AND THE KENTUCKY DERBY FESTIVAL DISSERTATION A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky By Benjamin Louis Blandford Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Richard Schein, Professor of Geography Lexington, Kentucky Copyright © Benjamin Louis Blandford 2015 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION CARNIVAL, PROTEST, AND COMMUNITY IDENTITY: WEST LOUISVILLE AND THE KENTUCKY DERBY FESTIVAL This dissertation uses “Derby Cruising” in order to open up the tension between African Americans in Louisville and the Kentucky Derby Festival, especially as that tension was manifest in the spaces of West Louisville. The Kentucky Derby Festival has long served as a site of mediation between people of color and official Louisville. Derby Cruising (1998-2005) and protests around the open housing movement (1967) and anti-police violence (2000) are presented as three critical sites where African American expressions of identity, representation, and belonging have been negotiated through the Kentucky Derby Festival at particular historical moments and in particular places in the city. The dissertation assumes the place of these negotiations in the politics of racialization processes. It employs theories of “festival” and “carnival” inspired by the work of Bahktin, Hall, Nurse, and others in order to conceptualize transgression, protest, and community representation and highlights the importance of festival times as a critical opportunity for marginalized populations to assert a political voice, especially within African American communities. The cases are presented with information drawn from interviews with West Louisville residents, community leaders, and other affiliated officials, as well as from newspaper, media and archival sources. KEYWORDS: Carnival, Protest, Transgression, Community Identity, African American Urban History, Kentucky Derby Festival Benjamin Louis Blandford Student’s Signature January 27, 2015 Date CARNIVAL, PROTEST, AND COMMUNITY IDENTITY: WEST LOUISVILLE AND THE KENTUCKY DERBY FESTIVAL By Benjamin Louis Blandford Dr. Richard Schein Director of Dissertation Dr. Patricia Ehrkamp Director of Graduate Studies January 27, 2015 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS During the course of researching for and writing this dissertation, many have contributed either directly or indirectly to my successful completion of the project. I owe a debt of gratitude to many, and there are several I wish to acknowledge. I would first like to acknowledge my advisor, Rich Schein, for being a constant positive presence in this project. I credit Rich for instilling in me the confidence to pursue this research and always urging me to take the analysis one step further. Rich’s innate ability to see the forest for the trees was an invaluable asset in this project, and to him I am grateful. I would like to acknowledge the other members of my committee, Patricia Ehrkamp, Gerald Smith, and Andy Wood. Without their input and insight, this dissertation would have suffered. I would also like to acknowledge Michael Crutcher, who encouraged me to pursue a Ph.D. and was instrumental in helping me formulate this research project in its nascent stages. Completion of this dissertation would not have been possible without the unflagging support of Ted Grossardt, who has always reminded me to keep my priorities in order. I would like to acknowledge my colleagues and friends, James Looney, Len O’Connell, Tim Brock, and Michael Shouse, all of whom have contributed in myriad ways to this project’s successful completion. I will always be indebted to the influence of Brother James Kelly, C.F.X. (1947-2011), who taught me at an early age how to be a writer and critical thinker. Research for this dissertation relied on a multitude of interviews and conversations with people involved one way or another with Derby cruising. I would like to acknowledge and thank all who participated and whose wisdom and words sometimes confirmed my research suppositions, and at other times propelled me to explore the issues in new ways. iii Finally, I would like to acknowledge and thank my family, which has grown considerably in size since this project began. I am thankful for my mother, Catherine, and my father, David, who have from the beginning instilled in me an appreciation for independent thought and critical examination. I am grateful for my four brothers, David, Joshua, John, and Matt, who along with the rest of my extended family provide a source of strength, continuity, and friendship. I am thankful for my three children, who daily remind me what life is really about: my son Sam, who was born shortly after writing this dissertation proposal, and his ever-inquisitive nature; my daughter Chloe, who was born during a time of intense dissertation writing, and her ever-inspiring smiling eyes; and my son Dominic, who was born just weeks before I defended the final dissertation draft. Lastly, I would like to acknowledge and thank my wife and best friend, Amie, who has unflinchingly endured sacrifices that enabled me to complete this dissertation. Her contributions are many: being a consistent source of encouragement, friendship, and love; shouldering extra parental responsibility when needed; serving as a sounding board as I worked through varying social theories associated with my research; and always laughing at my sometimes funny jokes. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS………………………………………………………………. iii LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... viii LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................1 Overview ..............................................................................................................5 Chapter Preview ...................................................................................................9 CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL FRAMINGS ...................................................................17 Festival Transgression and Protest ....................................................................17 Bakhtin .......................................................................................................... 17 Cultural/Political Critiques of Bakhtin ......................................................... 22 Carnival and Transgression ........................................................................... 25 Diaspora and Festival .................................................................................... 29 Cruising/Parading/Festival .................................................................................37 Researching Cultural/Political Geographies ......................................................43 Place .............................................................................................................