The Legacy of Black Louisville Educator, Author, and Community Leader, Joseph Seamon Cotter, Sr.

The Legacy of Black Louisville Educator, Author, and Community Leader, Joseph Seamon Cotter, Sr.
Joseph Seamon Cotter, Sr (1861-1949) was an educator, author, and community builder who devoted his life to advocating for equitable education and fair and proper housing for Black Louisvillians. His authorship illustrates early twentieth century Black resistance by refuting Jim Crow stereotypes and white supremacist cultural forms.
Join Filson Community Engagement Specialist and Public Historian Emma Bryan and the Manager of the Western Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library, Natalie Woods as they share more information about the life and legacy of Cotter and the digitization of his papers, which are among other important Black Louisvillians' housed in the archive of Western Library.
Emma Bryan is a public historian and cultural worker based in Louisville, Kentucky. She currently works for the Filson Historical Society as the Community Engagement Specialist. She received her Bachelor of Arts in History and Philosophy from Bellarmine University and her Master of Arts in History from the University of Louisville. Additionally, she works as a community-based oral historian and is a member of the 2022-2023 Kentucky-Rural Urban Exchange Cohort.
Natalie Woods has served as Branch Manager of the historic Western Library since 2017. She serves on several committees in the Russell neighborhood, including acting as consulting party for the Redevelopment of Beecher Terrace, and the Greater Russell Equity, Education Equity and Economic and Self-Sufficient Equity Task Groups.