Positive Results From Dialogues Between 4th Street Live! & Community Organizations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org

LOUISVILLE, KY – Several meetings between the management of 4th Street Live! and a coalition of social justice organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, Connected Voices, Louisville Showing Up for Racial Justice, the Fairness Campaign and the Louisville Metro Human Relations Commission have resulted in a number of positive initiatives.

4th Street Live! has committed to better communication of its dress code policy by posting it at all entrances when the street is operating as an entertainment venue, on the 4th Street Live! website, providing a 1-888 number to collect customer questions or concerns, and implementing diversity training for security and management staff. The community groups involved released a joint statement saying, “We are very hopeful that the community’s concerns have been heard, and are pleased to see that positive changes are already being implemented. We will continue to monitor these new initiatives on behalf of the community and look forward to ongoing dialogue with 4th Street Live!”

According to Ishmon Burks, former Interim Public Safety Director and Interim Police Chief for Louisville Metro Government, who has been assigned to work collaboratively with the coalition on behalf of the Mayor, Burks further stated, “The dialogue between representatives for 4th Street Live and the coalition has yielded a number of initiatives to better communicate the dress code policy. We were pleased by the constructive nature of the dialogue, the shared values of the parties and the commitment of the community coalition and 4th Street Live! to continue to work together in good faith in the future.

James Layson, General Manager of 4th Street Live! stated, “The 4th Street Live! dress code is applied in a non-discriminatory manner. We sincerely appreciate the openness of our discussions and value the comments and concerns shared. We will continue to work with city officials and the community to ensure that 4th Street Live is the most diverse and welcoming environment in the City of Louisville. Our long-term success is directly linked to the partnerships we establish and the unique experiences we create for the local community and visitors alike. We trust that discussions with the community and the outcomes generated convey that 4th Street Live! is a committed community partner.”