Being Black in Owensboro Comes with Challenges

Olga McKissic was born and raised in Owensboro.

She and her five siblings eventually moved away in search of better job opportunities.

McKissic, executive director of the H.L. Neblett Community Center, started her career life in Owensboro, working for South Central Bell.

“I had to leave because I didn’t see the advancement I wanted here,” she said.

McKissic moved to Houston first, but ended up finding a rewarding and challenging career in Louisville. After retirement, she returned to Owensboro in 2015.

She loves her hometown, but the seemingly endless migration of well-educated Black professionals concerns her. They leave Owensboro for larger metro areas where diversity is appreciated, inclusion is not an afterthought and job opportunities for Black people abound.