Micah’s Louisville  (10/17/2022)

You know those “______’s Louisville” banners on the sides of buildings throughout the city? Ali and Jennifer Lawrence and Diane Sawyer and more “notable” names. We think the blank should be for all of us. (Who do you think Louisville Magazine should interview about our city? You can tell us here.)  

Who or what should be on a future cover of Louisville Magazine?

“Individuals affected by homelessness. Too often society dismisses them. Share their voices.” 

Since March 2020, what’s something you’ve gained?

“In May 2021, I was anonymously nominated for a Young Professionals Association of Louisville award. I both love and value the work I do as a children’s behavioral specialist at the Cabbage Patch House. Knowing that someone else recognized that passion meant so much to me. To this day, I still don’t know who nominated me for it.” 

Since March 2020, what’s something Louisville has lost?

“Breonna Taylor. In a way, I feel like she belonged to all of us.” 

Since March 2020, what’s something Louisville has gained?

“Awareness. Losing someone or something generally comes with a certain level of awareness after the fact. Breonna Taylor sparked a movement that gave this city a new sense of awareness about the racial inequalities and inequities that still exist in Louisville today.” 

What should people visit in your neighborhood?

“Not in my neighborhood, but the soul-food restaurant Dasha Barbours on East Main Street. Absolutely amazing.”

Here’s a magic wand. Wave it and you can change one thing in your neighborhood. What do you change?

“Butterfly bushes and flowers. I’d plant them everywhere.” 

What does Louisville have that it should be known for but isn’t?

“Chicken that is not KFC!”

Louisville dish you’ve eaten more than any other?

“Indi’s six-piece chicken meal or King’s 10-piece barbecue wings.” 

Where are you a regular? 

“Waffle House for the All-Star Meal: scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, hashbrowns or grits, no toast, and chocolate milk.” 

Closed Louisville business you miss most?

“There was this vegan restaurant, I think it was called Morels? There’s no way I wasn’t eating a real chicken sandwich. I wanted to go back, but it closed.” 

What should be Louisville’s theme song?

“It should be ‘Working on the Highway,’ by Bruce Springsteen, because I swear to God, they are always working on the highway.”

Favorite Louisville building?

“The Cabbage Patch House. I may be biased because I work here, but there’s so much history here and so many lives are changed here. I also love how small it looks on the outside because people are amazed when they come inside and see that we have a whole gym in here. We are a free after-school program for kids ages eight to 16. We’ve been around for over 100 years but are still the best-kept secret in Old Louisville.” 

Favorite Louisville street?

“Main Street in the West End. It was my first house when my family moved here from Atlanta. I made my first Louisville friends on that street and learned how to ride my bike on that street.” 

Where in town do you always take visitors?

“The Big Four walking bridge!” 

Most memorable show/concert you’ve been to in Louisville? 

“Lipstick Wars Poetry Slam at the Kentucky Center. It’s an annual, all-female poetry slam for and by women. I both write and perform poetry, so going to this event is always inspiring.” 

A Louisville law/ordinance/rule/etc. that needs to change?

“I don’t like the displacement of persons experiencing homelessness for the sake of optics.” 

Favorite Louisville smell?

“Indi’s.”

Something from Louisville’s past you wish people today could experience?

“I used to run all up and down the streets of the West End when I was younger. My friend and I would knock on random doors and ask if we could rake their leaves for money. That’s community. And I really miss that. It doesn’t seem like anywhere in Louisville is like that now.” 

Fill in the blank: “_______’s Louisville” should be the next banner on the side of a building. 

“Lamar. I absolutely love Lamar Jackson. He has done amazing things both on and off the field.” 

In one word, what’s your biggest hope for Louisville?

“Growth.”

In one word, what’s your biggest fear for Louisville?

“Violence.”

Earliest childhood memory?

“I moved to Louisville when I was five or six years old. My earliest memory here is of my uncle teaching me how to tie my shoes at our house on Main Street. It was right after I learned how to ride my bike, and until I learned how to tie my shoes, I was not allowed to go ride my bike. I learned how to tie my shoes very fast.” 

Most noticeable quirk?

“I pop my knuckles…a lot.” 

Your drink?

“Bourbon and ginger.” 

Go-to karaoke song?

“Anything by Beyoncé. Or ‘Int’l Players Anthem.’” 

What would you name a Derby horse?

“Hand Sanitizer. Because at this point put it on everything.” 

Priceless possession?

“My late sister gave me a big, framed puzzle and, ironically, the puzzle reminds me of heaven —like a garden in the sky of sorts. She told me to hang it up in my first apartment, and it has hung in every place I’ve ever lived since.”

Book you’ve given away the most?

“Dare to Lead, by Brené Brown. It’s a really great book about leadership but not in the way one might expect. The book explores a lot of emotional awareness and vulnerability. I’ve passed it along to a lot of great leaders I know. Also, We’re Going to Need More Wine, by Gabrielle Union.” 

TV character most like you? 

“Not TV, but I’ll say Dory from Finding Nemo. She forgets a lot; I forget a lot. We have similar temperaments, even though it’s weird to say that about an animated fish. But she’s very bubbly and excited, and I’m a lot like that.” 

Secret talent?

“I can read extremely fast.” 

What three people (living or dead) would be on the guest list to your ideal dinner party?

“Beyoncé, Malcolm X, Jesus. I have a lot of questions for Jesus.” 

Something nobody knows about you?

“Nobody? I can’t think of anything that NOBODY knows, but very few people know how sensitive I actually am. I cry in private. I’m a Black woman, so I feel the pressure of putting on a strong front all the time.” 

What makes somebody a Louisvillian?

“Definitely the way they pronounce Louisville. You can automatically tell just by that alone if someone is from here or not.”