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Explore Kentucky’s black history 

MEET AN EARLY 20TH CENTURY hotel proprietress who provided sanctuary to African American travelers. Call up a World War I Harlem Hellfighter. Learn about an educational collaboration between Booker T. Washington and the president of what was once America’s leading retailer—Sears, Roebuck & Co. 

Take a walk into the cemeteries and schools, churches, historic homes and buildings of the Bluegrass State to learn about Black Kentuckians who have left an indelible mark on the pages of the past. Their sometimes little-known stories are told on walking and driving tours across the state. 

Scott County African American GeoTrail, Georgetown 

This new interactive experience sends treasure seekers to eight sites, including African American communities and churches, and a cabin made by a former enslaved person from recycled building materials. 

“In commemoration of Juneteenth, we created a GeoTrail to spotlight historical locations throughout Scott County to draw attention to the rich history and the significant contributions that African Americans have made to the area,” says Barbara Fox, who helped develop the Scott County African American GeoTrail. 

As they traverse the county, geocachers will meet notables like a pioneering educator, the first African American and member of the U.S. Armored Forces to be killed during World War II, and the legendary Buffalo Soldiers—the name Native Americans gave to the first peacetime all-Black regiments in the U.S. Army in the late 1870s. 

“It not only educates visitors about our local history but also fosters community engagement in exploring our unique cultural landscape,” says Bailey Gilkerson, associate director at Georgetown/Scott County Tourism. 

Upon completion of the passport, geocachers receive a commemorative two-sided coin depicting the trail experience. 

Lexington pays tribute to its Black history and heritage on two tours, including the self-guided African American Heritage Tour. Photo: Richie Wireman

Driving Tour, Paducah 

The annual Eighth of August Emancipation Celebration inspired the Paducah Historical Preservation Group to create a 26-stop tour, developed with the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau, which would offer attendees a chance to experience local African American heritage. 

The inaugural tour, given by trolley and complete with living history characters, debuted during Paducah’s 2023 Eighth of August Celebration. Today, tour-takers wind through this UNESCO Creative City and national heritage destination by car, from Burks Chapel A.M.E. church and the MLK Jr. monument to slave plots at Oak Grove Cemetery and the Hotel Metropolitan. 

“This hotel hosted some of the greatest visionaries of the 20th century, including Thurgood Marshall and Ella Fitzgerald,” says Liz Hammonds, director of marketing and communications at the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The staircase railing—like most parts of the hotel—is original to the building, and when you climb the stairs, you’re touching the same railing used by the greats.” 

The Paducah School of Art & Design is not part of the driving tour, but is a stop that enhances the experience. It currently displays recently acquired artwork by the late Helen LaFrance, an acclaimed folk artist born in Graves County. 

Betty Dobson, executive director of the restored 1908 Hotel Metropolitan, greets visitors at the door in the character and costume of the hotel’s original proprietress. Photo: Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau 

Kentucky Black Trailblazers, central Kentucky 

This new augmented reality experience features multiple story-stops in six communities, among them: 

The Harlem Hellfighters in Shelby County, a renowned infantry group from World War I, several members of whom are buried in Shelbyville’s historic Calvary Cemetery. 

Mack Rowan, highlighted at My Old Kentucky Home State Park in Bardstown. Rowan was born into slavery in 1820 and became a master boot and shoemaker—a vocation inspired by his own infirmity. 

Alex Beaumont, who joined the Union Army in 1864 at Camp Nelson and served as a cook and private in Company E of the 116th Infantry, United States Colored Troops. 

These 19 experiences bring the history of these influential Black Kentuckians to life through augmented reality technology. Scan the QR code on your phone and point your camera to an open space, then watch the Harlem Hellfighters march in place. Hear Rowan talk about his clubfoot, which led him to create footwear to accommodate all types of feet and foot conditions. 

Derby. In Shepherdsville, listen to Annie Mitchell Reed, a nanny, cook and laundress, recall surviving the state’s deadliest train wreck only to face the uncertainties and unfairness of life in a segregated world. 

In each instance, voicing their stories gives these history makers the recognition—sometimes long overdue—they deserve.



Born into slavery in Kentucky in 1839, Alex Beaumont would join the Union Army in 1864 at Camp Nelson. Photo: ShelbyKY Tourism 

African American history comes alive in Kentucky 

Discover more of Kentucky’s Black history with these resources: 

The Notable Kentucky African Americans database is a free resource provided by University of Kentucky Libraries with information about African Americans in and from Kentucky as well as places, events and communities.

Meet Miss Maggie Steed (portrayed by Betty Dobson, executive director at the Hotel Metropolitan) in a new video about this historic Paducah landmark

Born into slavery, Elijah P. Marrs discusses learning to read, becoming a Civil War sergeant and establishing the first Black school in Shelby County in this Kentucky Black Trailblazers video clip.

A soldier-spokesman shares the experiences of the Harlem Hellfighters, the most decorated regiment of World War I, in this video from a Kentucky Black Trailblazers stop in Shelby County.

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