By Sherlene Shanklin
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentuckians who may not have known freshman state Rep. Pamela Stevenson likely do following a heartfelt, impromptu speech given as the legislative session came to a close.
The retired Air Force Colonel and associate minister at Oak Grove Baptist Church represents District 43.
As lawmakers worked against the clock to finish bills, veto overrides and other business, Stevenson chose to speak after listening to Rep. Fugate (R-84) during a debate over the partial ban on no-knock search warrants.
“Banning no-knock warrants? That’s not the answer,” Fugate said. “Our society will never get better until we’re allowed to lift up the name of Christ in the public sector again.”
According to Stevenson, Fugate then said, “Life was good in America until 1962 when they took prayer out of the schools. God calls us to love everyone.”
She had decided she was not going to say anything because everything had been said then she heard another representative speak. She said the lawmaker is a friend and pastor but she couldn’t let the moment be lost.
“I start sitting in my seat and I get irritated because in 1962 life for African American and brown people sucked,” Stevenson said. “You could be lynched, raped, you couldn’t walk down the street, you had no freedom.”
She chose respond to the lawmaker who she considers a friend.
“You want to tell me about putting God back in schools? Well, put Christ back in Christians,” Stevenson said. “Don’t you dare ever propose to know what it’s like to be less than, what it’s like to be in a country that disowns you, what it’s like to be lynched, what it’s like to be raped, what it’s like to be a nothing.”
While trying to put her mask back on after the speech, Stevenson said she noticed a crowd beginning to grow around her.
“Other representatives started coming up to me either wanting to hug, saying they didn’t want to break the rules or ‘I want to say thank you,'” Stevenson said. “And my friend who made the statement came to me we had a great, beautiful conversation.”
Life before politics
Stevenson was born and raised in Louisville — her parents still live in her childhood home in West Louisville. She attended Shawnee and graduated from Brown High School before joining the US Air Force.
During her 27 years of service, Stevenson said she lived in 11 different countries and several parts of the United States.
“Then I switched over and became a JAG [Judge Advocate General],” Stevenson said. “So I spent most of my time in the legal world, training people, prosecuting. I was chief criminal defense attorney, negotiating contracts, running my own office and deploying to Croatia, Bosnia and Africa.”
Because she’s traveled the world, Stevenson said she understands the common thread that unites everyone.
“Whether I was In Europe, Africa, the Middle East or California, what I discovered was we all basically want the same thing,” Stevenson said. “They want their children to grow up and be better than them, they want to leave their children something and they want their life to matter.”
Now, she’s using her knowledge to represent a district stretching from Brownsboro Road to the Portland neighborhood and a portion of West Louisville.
“You can’t tell me how things are for me when you don’t know,” Stevenson said. “All people, all lives have different experiences than yours and don’t be presumptive to know you understand. Listen and ask, and then based on what they say — not what you think — come up with a solution.”
Contact Sherlene Shanklin at sherlene@sherleneshanklin.com or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
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I received these photos from Nicole Hayden. The Louisville activist has been participating in protests for weeks asking for justice in the Breonna Taylor case.
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Rev. Alex C. Shanklin, retired pastor as pastor of Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church located in the Smoketown neighborhood in Louisville, KY. Prior to retiring Shanklin and members of the congregation paid off their mortgage and held a mortgage burning ceremony on February 28, 2016. Shanklin served as pastor for 35 years.
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