They took away walking around Central Ave. on derby eve and there was no big comotion, so why is there such an outrage about cruising being shut down? Maybe it's to prevent crime!

"Derby weekend is only one event that when mentioned stands for every 'black' gathering harrassed in every 'black' community in every State! We are not free from our own intelligence!
We know when enough is enough! Not someone who knows not our sad existence! They need to find another way to purge their conscience..."

"Derby Cruising the weekend that last all year!"

"Sure we love to remind the opposition how calm a
race we really are...they just never want to witness it"

"Ya'll aint shuttin down diddly-squad-diddly! So come on with the come on!" (Fifty Deuce Gang!)"

"What would Martin Luther King quote? When a race of people are not allowed to express themselves then they go out with their heads covered up...so we have the right to come out with our heads covered in 'black' sheets...then they won't know it's the 'black' race right?"

"Everyone knows the Derby Festival is behind all this blocking the 'Negroes' from cashing in on Derby...they still can't believe they use to whip the 'black' jockeys back in 1875 ten years after Negroes were given their Freedom!"

"What would some of the older deseased relatives of their kin folks now say about the closing of
streets maybe "Gone out to the white neighborhoods now. There are a lot of 'mixed tokens' (children) that can learn how their 'other' side really is!"

"Police know that this is the only time the city is willing to let them goof off and then pay them overtime!"

"Derby weekend last all year with the way Negroes aint allowed to walk down their own streets in their own neighborhoods...so is there a Derby in Cincinatti too?"

"Police get a kick out of knowing our best barbecue aint in them white neighborhoods...they aint that happy about closing down Broadway for real!"

"In my opinion the Derby is for White folks so let them go out to Churchill Downs and throw away all their children's inheritence then go get on
food stamps. That's what they've been doing!"

"Blacks aint that sad about all those Police out during Derby cause they need to stand in the sun with their pink butts!"

"We got our own 'Holiday' watching when they lock up smebody for 'white collar crimes' it aint always on Broadway!"

I too remember the central avenue derby eve tradition. It turned into a drunken brawl and was shut down. There was no outcry about that and rightly so. Also, the infield has been WAY cleaned up from the debauchery that it once was. I am weary of race being used as an excuse for the right to bad behavior. Rowdy behavior is just that, it doesn't belong to any one race and it should not be allowed, period. It's not about race, it's about youth who feel they have to be raunchy to have fun...a rite of passage, not a rite of race.

Not allowing cruising to take place for a specified culture is racial profiling when the so called "risk of unruly behavior" takes place among the other cultures as well. We all know that women are showing their breasts on the infield, and Bardstown Road provides more bars per square mile than anywhere else in Louisville! Not to mention, that I even worked on a case where a young male was stabbed on Bardstown Road during Derby. Thus, if your going to shut down events due to "risk"- then make sure you shut them all down vs. just those participated in by mostly African-Americans!

When I was a teenager we used to cruise 4th Steet much to the dismay of the older generation and police. It was an absolute blast! Those were times I'll always remember. I've seen pics of the cruising on Broadway many times on tv and it looks like a ton of fun to me. Since I am now 51 years old (and a white woman besides!) I'll probably never attend, but it sickens me that whenever people try to have a little fun that doesn't cost much- thereby not fattening the pockets of the fat cats even further- (except of course Exxon, but that's another comment..) some bureaucrat is always out to stop it. As is the norm in the 2000's, this time it is all about our "safety". Perhaps the party just needs to be relocated to Hurstbourne Lane and/or Shelbyville Road. That would be a real hoot! As far as loss of life because of the cruising, I'd say that's a bit of a stretch because somebody in Louisville is always killing someone else. What's to blame when no cruising is taking place? Excuses and lies, as usual, coming from the government. It's a good thing that Mayor Jerry is not the mayor of New Orleans or that pesky unsafe Mardi Gras would have been halted decades ago! Good luck to all you party-goers next weekend. The whole state is watching and many of us hope you kick the government's collective butt when this gets into court!

When I was young, there was cruising at Iroqouis park, they shut that down, it was mostly us white people doing the cruising, then we cruised in hikes point "hikes point plaza"...they stopped that, but we didnt protest it or take it to court, for years you was able to walk and cruise around churchill downs....oh yeah thats where "derby" is, its not down in the westend, its not no where near broadway, we give you the parade on broadway, what else does the blacks want?.....come to churchill downs, leave your guns and ignorance in the westend, have fun, we dont care what color you are as long as everyone has a good time, I say they want to act like fools on broadway, give them this year to prove themselfs, don't close broadway at all this year, let them do what they want, but dont call 911 until its all over and lets see how many dead bodies the police will have to put into body bags, it is a proven fact that most the murders in Louisville, are blacks killing blacks, and most of the jail/prison inmates are black, if they want to act like animals, then they should be treated like animals.

I really don't understand what the big deal is with stopping the Cruising On Broadway. When they stopped the Big Party on Central Ave over 10 years ago on Derby Eve there was no one up in the air about that. Everyone just dealt with it. Really there is no difference in the two. All the City is trying to do is make it a Safe event for everyone to enjoy.

The Kentucky Derby is one of the biggest event in the world, and for most Louisville yens it is a time to have a good time, make a little more income, and to let the world know, that we all don't go around in bib overalls, and bear feet here in Kentucky. For many years, the place to be for the derby was over on Kentucky street between 28th and 32nd in the West End and the motorcycle club on that street kept the peace, to the best that they could, and that seem to be all right for the City. A lot went on in that part of town, almost as much as on Broadway, but I don't recall anyone trying to shut that down. No, I think the Broadway activities became bigger than what some had expected, and the economic impact in this part of town was a little bit more successful then conceived. The bottom line and it is always the bottom line is economics, not the violence that the POWERS TO BE claims it is. Between the time of the violence that took place in 2005 and today, how many crimes have been committed in Louisville, and how many section of town have been shut down? Are we now a POLICE STATE SYSTEM were when a few commit a crime, THOUSANDS OF LAW ABIDDING CITYZENS must suffer the raft from our protectors of the LAW. You know I think everyone enjoys a little mayhem and culture shock in life, it make you feel there more to life then the everyday routine, even if it is just for one weekend out of the year. S--T happens and life goes on, and our beloved law enforcer should put as much effort in protecting instead of restraining. Let me put it to you like this; for most of the black community, all we have, or should I say had, was the Broadway activities. I can't afford to go to all the BIG PARTIES, they cost you a arm and a leg, and bar hopping is not for everybody, (I don't drink alcohol), so I looked forward to going down to Broadway, seeing all the vendor, watching all the out of town folks, eating the food that only comes with special events. Hey if we let a few bad apples spoil Derby for us, let’s not STOP at shutting down Broadway, WHY DON’T WE JUST CLOSE CHURCHILL DOWNS, and, AND BE DONE WITH IT!!!!

How can this be a racial thing when the chief of police himself is African American? Its not the citizens of Louisville who causes the disturbance during Cruising, its the out of towners. I think we should let west Louisville have their cruising this year, and make it THEIR responsibility to keep the peace in the area. Maybe if the word spreads among THEIR PEOPLE as they want to put it, (the last time I looked we were ALL AMERICANS), than they will be able to keep the violence down. And for the person quoting Martin Luther King, wasn't he for all of us not just the person of colored skin? That's what is wrong with our country. We are always against each other, giving other countries the ability to take advantage of us and hurting all OUR people. We need to quit making this a black and white issue, We (White) did not bring you over on a ship, you (Black)are not slaves, and QUIT blaming us for YOUR problems! Let it rest! Move on! You don't see the Mexicans getting ticked about Cinco de Mayo being the day of the Derby, maybe they should protest too!

As a grad of Central High School-1988 a fellow student and I were called upon to participate in a panel discussion on the Hikes Lane Cruising in 1987. No one seems to remember this on the news that this was banned.

I know that the ban on cruising is to prevent crime, but if they want to do it so much, just let them go ahead and drive around and whatever happens, happens. BUT if something does happen the poor police can't win for losing and will get blamed for not having enough patrol. Are those cruisers really so stupid as to not see that the gangs are out of hand? Not to mention it is an embarrassment to louisville having all that crime especially during derby. DISBAND the gangs and drugs and - what a miracle - much less crime!!! DUH

let them cruise after all you can not stop them from killing each other on broadway during the day time. look @ what happened there last night. I think what you have are a bunch of law enforcement that do not want to put their lives and career on the line in a situation where 2x and colman are going to be in a crowd calling for their hide because they locked someone up. Problem solved let them over see the cruising that be your righteous civil leaders.

What is the matter with everyone?! We are talking safety and lives here, not racial problems. If there are shootings/violence in other areas during events in the Louisville area, I am sure that LMPD will monitor/govern the traffic in those areas. What is more important -- life, money or crusing? Quit whining and start thinking sensibly.

It seems to me that the ones who don't live in the westend have an opinion about what goes on in the westend. I have been to the Derby and it is not a pretty site in the in-field. But not everyone is acting the same way. The same for the westend not everyone of us carry guns and are shooting everyone. I myself do not own a gun. I have live here in the Westend all my life and there are many many more like me. You only believe what you here or see on the news. Not everyone is taking there clothes off on Derbyday. From what I have seen and heard about the Derby you may see just as much there. I am a grandmother and my children and grandchildren see more on TV then on Derby day. Also if everyone is so concern about the killings that happen on Derby Day, then why not be concern with what happens every day, Have the police come and protect our love ones every day. Another thing is before they took away Central Ave. you never ever heard about Broadway.

shame we already have a great history channel yours would have made a good one. post a blog on this site still nothing the next day.