LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville civil rights legend was honored as part of Women's History Month on Tuesday.
Alberta O. Jones was the first Black woman to pass the Kentucky Bar. She then became Louisville's first female prosecutor in 1965. Jones was a national leader in civil rights activism.
"Alberta Odell Jones was an incredible Louisvillian and leader who made a difference in the lives of so many. This beautiful park will ensure her legacy lives on for generations to come," Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a news release. "Alberta O. Jones Park is a beautiful addition to West Louisville and the California neighborhood, and we are grateful to our partners at the Parks Alliance of Louisville for bringing it to life."
Last year, the first phase of the Alberta O. Jones Park in the city's California neighborhood was completed and opened. It features a mosaic of her portrait composed of hundreds of individual photographs celebrating the California neighborhood. The park was also the first in the city to have complementary, high-speed Wi-Fi.
City officials provided an update on the park on Tuesday. Brooke Pardue with the Parks Alliance of Louisville said they are working to raise the funds for phase two of the park. Construction could begin in the next 10 to 12 months.
Pardue said the park will encompass 20 acres once phase two is complete. The amenities that will be included in phase two haven't been announced yet.
In 1965, Jones was beaten and thrown into the Ohio River off the Sherman Minton Bridge. The murder has remained a mystery despite a suspect and a fingerprint.
A "Hometown Hero" banner was unveiled for Jones in October 2017. It hangs on the side of the River City Bank building at the corner of Sixth Street and Muhammad Ali Boulevard in downtown Louisville.
On Tuesday, Greenberg and Rachael Hamilton, director of the Air Pollution Control District, awarded a package of electric lawn equipment to the Parks Alliance of Louisville that will be used for maintenance at Alberta O. Jones Park. Funded by the Lawn Care for Cleaner Air Equipment Grant program, the equipment includes a lawn mower, blower, string trimmer and rechargeable battery.
According to a news release, the switch from gasoline to electric-powered lawn engines improves local air quality and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
The Air Pollution Control District's Lawn Care for Cleaner Air Rebate program offers rebates to Louisville residents and businesses that purchase electric lawn equipment and recycle their old gas-powered equipment. The program has issued more than 12,000 rebates and prevented nearly five million pounds of air pollution, according to a news release.
Rebates are available online year-round by clicking here.
More Alberta Jones Coverage:
- Trailblazing Louisville lawyer honored at Jefferson County Attorney's Office
- Louisville leaders hope the addition of this free feature will draw more residents to local parks
- First phase of Alberta Jones Park opens in California neighborhood
- Alberta Jones Day celebrated at Louisville park by unveiling of painting
- Beauty and connection | Murals by Louisville artists bring culture, identity to the city
- Construction begins on Alberta Jones Park in Louisville's California neighborhood
- 'Hometown Hero' banner honors first black woman to pass Kentucky Bar
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