LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With 31 years and counting under his belt as a state senator, Gerald Neal is the longest-serving African American member of the Kentucky State Legislature.

Neal said, "You know it's a great privilege to be in a position to do something that only 138 people can do at one time. And then to grab a hold of something you think it's significant, and that affects people's lives. So it sort of grows on sorta gets into your blood a little bit and, and it's very meaningful.”

Neal was elected for the first time to represent a portion of Jefferson County, in the Kentucky State Senate back in 1988. He says while he has grown to love representing the people of his senate district, he admits his passion for serving people started years before his first election.

"It’s sorta an extension of what I've always done, is been engaged involved in the community in one way or another. Starting back with the civil rights movement in high school, and a little bit before And coming through in the students movement Housing, you go from one thing to the other and then as a lawyer, not only did I do legal work but I was intentional about it in terms of turning the expertise to the benefit of various community development type of activities."

According to the most recent American Community Survey from 2019, the African American population in Kentucky is just under 350 thousand, which makes up eight percent of the total population of the commonwealth. There would need to be at least three African American senators in order to be representative of the entire population, but Neal is only one of two.

He says, "My predecessor was the only African American in a 38 person Senate. When I stepped in, I was only African American and a 38 person Senate, and I remain that until I guess two cycles ago, or a cycle and a half ago when Senator Reggie Thomas won in Lexington. So then and now, there are two African Americans in the Senate. So that should tell you a little bit about Kentucky."

Neal says while he acknowledges his own place in Kentucky state government history, he also wants to remind everyone about the importance of celebrating black history, not just during the month of February, but all year long.

"Well I sorta think of it as Black History year, each and every year because the fact of the matter is, although I can appreciate the fact that you can single out a month like February and celebrate Black History and we can acknowledge accomplishments and put a spotlight on those accomplishments of African Americans in not only Kentucky but in the world, this nation and the world, the fact of the matter is, is that black folks are a part and parcel of the development of this country.”