Mae Street Kidd
| Mae Street Kidd | |
|---|---|
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| Born | February 8, 1904 Millersburg, Kentucky |
| Died | October 20, 1999 (aged 95) Louisville, Kentucky |
| Occupation | politician, civil rights activist |
| Spouse(s) | Horace Street (d. 1942) James Kidd (d. 1972) |
| Parent(s) | Anna Belle Leer, Charles Robert Jones |
Mae Jones Street Kidd (February 8, 1904 – October 20, 1999) was an innovative businesswoman, a civic leader, and a skilled politician during a time when both her gender and her inter-racial background made such accomplishments more difficult than they would be today. She had a distinguished career in public relations, served in the Red Cross during World War II, and was a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1968 to 1984, representing Louisville's 41st state legislative district.
During her tenure in elective office, she was known for her sponsorship of landmark legislation. House Bill No. 27 which became law in 1972 created the Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC) which promotes and finances low-income housing in the state. In 1974, this particular bill was officially designated as the "Mae Street Kidd Act."
Representative Kidd also led the campaign for Kentucky to ratify the United States Constitution's 13th Amendment (abolishing slavery), 14th Amendment (defining citizenship) and 15th Amendment (granting all men the right to vote regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude). Known collectively as the "Reconstruction Amendments," all three of those constitutional amendments had become law shortly after the conclusion of the Civil War when a sufficient number of lawmakers in other states had ratified them. Representative Kidd offered and secured a resolution in 1976 of a resolution to ratify the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments.
Born on February 8, 1904, in Millersburg, Kentucky to Anna Belle Leer (1883–1984) who worked for a well-to-do white family with a large farm in central Kentucky. Kidd's father, Charles Robert Jones (February 6, 1875 - March 15, 1972), was the son of her mother's employers; and, she was their second child together. Her older brother was George William Jones (July 18, 1901 - July 6, 1986). As a girl she was called Minne Mae Jones. She attended Springfield Institute from 1948 to 1950, University of Louisville, and American University, 1966–67.
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