Lonnie & Muhammad at Muhammad Ali Center dedication, Louisville; (c) Soul Of America
Louisville
History
Although St. Louis claims to be the starting point of the great Western Expedition, explorers Lewis & Clark began their expedition on the Louisville waterfront, where they chose York to be their slave guide in 1803 … More
Cultural Sites
Kentucky Center for African American Heritage is rising among a cluster of renovated buildings at Muhammad Ali Boulevard and 18th Street. For decades the city’s streetcars and buses, were repaired and stored here … More
Restaurants and Nightclubs
A number of cafes, restaurants and several nightclubs make for fond memories and nice weekend getaways in Louisville, a small city for fond memories … More
Shops
Ed Hamilton Studios, the sculptor known for his monuments of York, Black Civil War Soldiers, Booker T. Washington at Hampton University, Joe Louis, and the Amistad Memorial … More
Black Jockeys
When Thoroughbred Racing was in its infancy, most great jockeys were African American. In the first Kentucky Derby in 1875, 14 of 15 were Black jockeys and 15 of the first 28 Derby races were won by Black jockeys … More
Muhammad Ali Center Presents The Life Of A Hero
MAC is the definitive repository of Ali’s biographical materials. A Louisville native, Muhammad Ali’s back-story is covered from his roots, to his boxing career, his societal and religious convictions, stand against the unjust Vietnam War, and … More
Speed Plantation, A Mixed Path To Freedom
Farmington Home was built from a plan by Thomas Jefferson and completed in 1816 for John and Lucy Speed, wealthy hemp plantation owners. Every part of the enterprise was made profitable by the labor of slaves who were also frequently hired out to neighboring plantations … More
Historic Sites
From York Monument to Russell District to I. Willis Cole Residence to Columbia Gym where Cassius Clay trained to Central High School to Farmington Historic Home and more, Louisville is loaded with Black history sites … More
Places of Worship
Green Street Baptist Church constituted on First Street in 1844, with Brother George Wells as pastor and noted trustee and treasurer was Ben Duke who lived to age 110. The present edifice was completd in 1930 by Samuel Plato … More
Family Attractions
Louisville Slugger Museum, Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, Science Center, Louisville Zoo, Louisville Waterfront Park, Louisville Slugger Field … More
General Attractions
Kentucky Center for the Arts is more than a premier performance venue, it also has an appreciation for Black Heritage. In the 1930s, 40s and 50s … More
Arts
Kentucky Derby Museum, Frazier Historical Arms Museum, Speed Art Museum, Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft and International Museum of the Horse … More
Black Jockeys
Louisville has a coterie of of incredible black jockeys who lived storied lives of modest wealth in times of less … More
Trivia and Famous Residents
Located on the banks of the Ohio River southeast of Chicago, east of St. Louis, northwest of Atlanta, and west of Philadelphia, Louisville is one of the most accessible cities in the country … More
Events
All events held in Louisville unless specified otherwise … More
