LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Monday marked 59 years since Alberta Odell Jones' body was found in the Ohio River after being violently attacked by unknown suspects.
The civil rights pioneer broke many barriers within Louisville and Kentucky. According to the Louisville Metro Police Department, Jones' cold case remains open but it hasn't stopped her legacy from being recognized.
Members of her sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. - Eta Zeta Chapter Louisville, KY, visited her final place of rest with family members to celebrate her recognitions.
Great Lakes Regional Director of the sorority Keisha Smith said they continue to amplify Jones' voice through scholarships and other commendations.
"We are finding ways to make sure we can always have Alberta Odell Jones cemented in the footsteps of those that have come before us," Smith said.
Jones was the first black woman to pass the Kentucky Bar Exam. She also helped Muhammad Ali negotiate his first boxing contract, was leader when it came to voter registration, and was also the first woman to be a prosecutor within the state.
Jones has such a trailblazing legacy that the city honored her through a Hometown Heroes banner in 2017.
Among the sorority visiting Jones' gravesite was her sister Flora Shanklin. She said Jones knew that being a civil rights activist speaking out beyond the status quo at the time was dangerous.
"She believed in doing what was right," Shanklin said. "She didn't talk to mother and I about it but it was one of those things, what she was doing she felt like it was right and she wasn't going to stop. But she knew that it could cost her her life."
Jones was a founding member of the Independent Voters Association and advocated for Black Louisvillians to make their voices heard. Shanklin said her sister hosted a voter's campaign at Chickasaw Park and registered 6,000 Black voters.
Although Jones will never know the impact she left on the city, Shanklin said it's a blessing to watch her sister's legacy continue to be recognized through scholarships, at local schools and even a park named in her honor. She feels blessed knowing so many other people take a piece of her personality with them.
"I love her and (I'm) proud of her," Shanklin said. "But I think they got me beat. I'm going to hang on to her but I decided to share her with them."
A theatrical play honoring Jones' legacy was just performed at the park named in her honor on Sunday. The production shines a light on her life and plans to perform again this Thursday through Saturday at Actors Theatre of Louisville. To find out times and find tickets click here.
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