Louisville voices mourn the passing of J. Blaine Hudson

Photo courtesy of the University of Louisville

By Rae Hodge —

Voices have emerged from nearly every media outlet in the city to report the passing of a Louisville icon. Civil rights activist, community leader, author and former University of Louisville Dean of Arts & Sciences, J. Blaine Hudson, has died.

Hudson, who worked recently with Mayor Greg Fischer to reduce Louisville violence after stepping down from his deanship in August of last year, was an inspiration to students and professors at U of L. Reactions lit up across the web from those he worked with through the years.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer had this to say about the former dean’s passing:

Dr. Hudson was a true public servant who cared deeply about Louisville and its people. He understood the city’s history, and he selflessly shared his learnings and insights from both an academic and real-life perspective. Though he grew up in times of racial segregation, his entire life was spent helping bridge racial divides, from his work at the University of Louisville to his Saturday Academy to his book about African-American History in Louisville to his most recent work serving as co-chair of the city’s violence prevention work group. He leaves a deep and lasting legacy and our city is grateful for his life.

Hudson’s extensive body of work revolved around race relations in the city. Along with his academic research, Hudson co-authored Two Centuries of Black Louisville: A Photographic History, and created the Black Student Union at U of L.