This Juneteenth, residents and visitors of Kentucky can take a walk down its new African American Heritage Trail.
The trail comprises nearly 50 primary sites that detail Black historical figures and monuments in the state’s history. The trail will feature museums, historic churches, and more, all integral to the Black culture of Kentucky. The project was a joint endeavor between the Kentucky Department of Tourism and the state’s Heritage Council and Historical Society.
The trail’s official launch took place June 16 at the Muhammad Ali Center. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear attended the ceremony, speaking on how it explores the state’s distinct place in Black history.
“The trail is a bridge between education and exploration that elevates voices that have too often been left out of the broader historical narrative,” Governor Andy Beshear told Travel + Leisure. “By positioning these culturally significant sites as tourism destinations, the trail stimulates local economies, supports small businesses, and creates job opportunities in communities whose stories deserve to be heard and celebrated.”
The trail also includes over 28 cities with markers throughout the several regions, highlighting pivotal institutions of Black America. To start, voyagers visit the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage. The cultural hub hosts weekly events dedicated to uplifting diversity and Black history.
Another featured site includes the Downtown Civil Rights Trail, located in Louisville. It details the story of the state’s civil rights activists, whose unknown work proved critical to racial equality. Outside the urban sector, the trail features the SEEK museum in Russellville and the historic Hotel Metropolitan in Paducah.
The trail also lists one of the state’s oldest HBCUs, the Simmons College of Kentucky, on its must-see institutions. Another specific marker, the Portal 31 Coal Mine in Lynch, explores the history of Black coal miners in the region. For fans of the Kentucky Derby, the “Black Horsemen of the Kentucky Turf” exhibit at the Kentucky Horse Park also offers insight into the role of Black people in 19th-century Thoroughbred racing.
From the Western Waterlands to the Cave Lakes Corvettes, Kentucky remains home to numerous monuments that will delight history enthusiasts of all levels. Now, the official roadmap of the state’s expansive Black legacy has begun.
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