New Kentucky Derby Museum programs focus on Black horsemen

The Kentucky Derby Museum is launching two programs that will tell the stories of Black horsemen who dominated Thoroughbred racing in the early days of the Kentucky Derby and who continue to make a lasting mark on its legacy.

The museum, adjacent to Churchill Downs in Louisville, offers a new, 90-minute African Americans in Racing Tour. Guests will walk through Churchill Downs racetrack and make historically significant stops.

Guests will learn about the profound impact African Americans have made on the sport through history — including the Jim Crow era, which that led to the exclusion of Black jockeys from the sport. Visitors will hear stories of how 13 of the 15 horses in the first Kentucky Derby were ridden by Black jockeys and 15 of the first 28 Derby winners were ridden by Black jockeys. This tour is now available Saturdays at 1 p.m. and is $15 per person.

Secondly, the museum is launching a monthly 60-minute program called “Proud of My Calling,” where visitors are introduced to prominent Black horsemen through costumed actors, historic paintings, photos and objects from the past. Guests will meet greats such as Oliver Lewis, Isaac Murphy and Ansel Williamson.

Lewis, a Black jockey, rode Aristides to victory in the first Kentucky Derby in 1875. Williamson, born enslaved, became a successful trainer, nabbing wins with horses that include Aristides in that inaugural Derby. Murphy, also born enslaved, is considered one of the greatest jockeys of all time, winning three Kentucky Derbys and an estimated 44 percent of his races. This program costs $20 and starts March 27.

These new programs are part of Louisville Tourism’s Unfiltered Truth Collection, which features several local attractions that highlight African American contributions to the city and culture.

Ongoing commitments

In line with the museum’s nonprofit mission to engage, educate and excite everyone about the extraordinary experience that is the Kentucky Derby, the Museum has been sharing the important role African Americans have had on the Derby for decades. Since 1993, African Americans in Thoroughbred Racing, a permanent exhibit, has chronicled the impact African Americans have had on the Thoroughbred industry and the Kentucky Derby and features some of the most significant artifacts in the museum’s collection.

Additionally, the Museum’s Education Team teaches thousands of students each year about this important history through field trips and in-school teaching.

Still to come

In the spring 2021, the museum will redesign, expand and move its African Americans in Thoroughbred Racing exhibit to a larger and more prominent location in the museum. This will allow the museum to display more of its collection and add new components. The exhibit also will feature oral history interviews conducted with Louisville's African American community.

This expansion and the new tour received support from Churchill Downs and the James Graham Brown Foundation.

Additionally, a traveling African Americans in Thoroughbred Racing exhibit will be created to travel to museums, community centers, visitor centers and churches.

(Photos courtesy of Kentucky Derby Museum. Top: Jimmy Winkfield aboard Alan A Dale. Above: jockey Oliver Lewis)