January’s neighbor of the month is Michele Barnett of the James Taylor Neighborhood. She is pictured above (top center, grey scarf) with her husband Randy (left, red shirt).
The James Taylor Neighborhood is little-known historic black neighborhood nestled between River Road and the Ohio River near Prospect. Founded by James Taylor in 1912, it is one of the first subdivisions that offered homeownership for African Americans in Kentucky. Many families in the region have a connection to this area, and many of those living in the neighborhood today are descendants of the original home owners.
Michele passed away last month, and she will forever be a model of an engaged neighbor and kind spirit. She was engaged every day in the betterment of her community and served the James Taylor Neighborhood Association for many years. She was always the neighbor who would host a gathering, build a relationship with someone new, and make sure the important questions were asked in a meeting.
Michele and her husband Randy were major drivers of the James Taylor Neighborhood Plan, hosting advisory group meetings in their home and calling neighbors to keep them involved and up to date with the long process. The neighborhood plan was not originally supported by the traditional metro process, but neighbors were passionate about getting a plan done for preservation and having a voice in future development, so they forged an independent plan over three years and spent two additional years advocating for its passage through Metro Council. Today, many important items from the plan have been implemented and they are currently recipients of grant funding for their preservation efforts.
Engagement and advocacy are tradition in the Barnett/Walters family. Michele’s father was Arthur M. Walters, Executive Director of the Louisville Urban League from 1970-1987, where he originated the nationally recognized on-the-job training program for the League to assist in employment training and placement, among many great contributions to the League’s work and advocacy. The Arthur M. Walters Bridge Builders Project is a nonprofit that honors his legacy, a passion project of Michele and family and friends. The nonprofit’s mission “is to be a catalyst for success to minority college students and community entities that are making a positive impact in our neighborhoods; believing in the importance of establishing partnerships to help form our future leaders and make connections for a better world.” (https://www.arthurmwalters.org/artwalterslegacy )