LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) – Alberta Jones is inspiring the next generation of leaders even decades after her death.
Lauren Neal was the sixth recipient of the Alberta O. Jones Award. She received that award during a Sunday night ceremony.
Jones was one of the first African-American women to pass the Kentucky bar exam and the first woman appointed city attorney in Jefferson County. She also served as Cassius Clay’s attorney before he became the famous Muhammad Ali.
She was murdered in 1965 and her case remains unsolved.
While questions remain about her death, her legacy is still alive in the law community inspiring the next generation of lawyers.
"[I hope] That some young lady or young man from Bellarmine can carry on her legacy by getting this scholarship and hope that they'll follow into her footsteps and do something good wherever they are,” Flora Shanklin, Alberta’s sister, said.
Jones was also very active in the Civil Rights movement, the Urban League and the NAACP, taking part in several protest marches.