This is one in a series of profiles marking the 60th anniversary of the ACLU of Kentucky’s founding. Each week through December 2015 we will highlight the story of one member, client, case, board or staff member that has been an integral part of our organization’s rich history.
Nancy Rankin
“I believe the Bill of Rights would not be worth the paper it was written on if it were not for the American Civil Liberties Union.” -Nancy Rankin
Nancy Rankin is one of the ACLU of Kentucky’s longest serving employees. She joined the staff in 2000 as Legal Intake Coordinator and Office Manager after a 22 year career at the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights (KCHR). Her personal passions around racial justice and women’s rights meant she worked, and was in contact, with the ACLU-KY many years prior to her employment with the organization. She points to one of those early interactions as particularly memorable.
While at KCHR Nancy was contacted by a resident of Chaplin, Kentucky in Nelson County. The small town had a short dead-end street, Church Street, which included a section that was paved near the Methodist Church (white congregation) and nearby white residences. The street turned to gravel in front of neighboring black residences and the Baptist Church (black congregation) at the end of the road. Despite repeated efforts to get the remainder of the road paved, county officials refused to do it. While KCHR was limited in how it could respond, Nancy contacted attorney Sara Pratt, then Chair of the ACLU Board of Directors, to see if she might be able to find a solution. The ACLU-KY sent county officials a demand letter, and shortly thereafter the remainder of the road was paved. “Sometimes all it will take is a letter from the ACLU to at least prompt government to do the right thing and this is just what happened,” Nancy said.
As Nancy prepares to retire once again, she looks back fondly on her time and work with the ACLU-KY, “I am proudest of my commitment to make the office run as smoothly (not that I always succeeded) as possible. I have been honored to be a part of a very committed staff that has always worked as a team with the ultimate goal to protect the civil liberties of all Kentuckians.”