“Something’s got to take place in your life that will shake you up and turn you around.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Mattie Jones and Rhonda Mathies stand as local icons and legends of the Civil Rights movement. For decades, they made headlines through their fight for equal rights.
Jones and Mathies have lived through and endured countless moments, including arrests and protests in pursuit of justice for humanity.
“As I tell people, something has to happen to you,” Jones said. “Something’s got to take place in your life that will shake you up and turn you around.”
Mathies said she became involved with the Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, formerly known as the Kentucky Alliance, after fellow community leader Fran Thomas introduced her to the group.
“She got me connected with the KY Alliance, then I met Mattie an others involved with civil rights,” she said. “It stirred a yearning in me as far as, we always paid our skin taxes. And so to be more involved as far as doing the work for my people.”
Now 92, Jones reflected on several moments during segregation when employers rejected her because she spoke up.
“That’s when I met justice, equality in the middle of the road,” she said.
At one point, Jones applied for a work-study position. She submitted her application and secured an interview.
“He said, ‘did you fill this out?’ Yes I did. And he said ‘would you fill out another one for me.’ Um yeah. I filled out another one. I did that and all. I know he began to get real frigidity. He didn’t know what to do or say. I asked him ‘is something wrong?’ He said, ‘the ladies out there won’t, wont work with you being out there,'” Jones said.
Upset, she walked dozens of blocks home. Her mother sat her down and explained the harsh realities of segregation, telling her she would need support if she wanted to succeed.
Her mother then said to her, “You cannot fight this battle, it’s older than me.”
Jones later became a member of the Black Workers Coalition.
Mathies said her passion for civil rights always lived within her, shaped by her family and history, but events unfolding locally and nationally strengthened her sense of purpose.
She learned from Jones and now passes those lessons on to younger generations, as seen during the 2020 protests in Louisville. Mathies stepped in to guide and help organize young activists seeking justice.
“With the Breonna Taylor [protests], and when that came on TV, I immediately hit the streets, because it brought back memories,” she said. “That the injustice we never had the opportunity to see. Being involved with these young people and not knowing all of the history before Breonna Taylor, and sharing that information with them.”
Both women continue to fight for progress and equality, calling it their lifelong dream.
“Being close to 93 I still have that drive,” Jones said. “I can’t stop. If I have to get on my walker or even have to crawl to make a difference I’ll be out there.”
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