There are more notable African Americans with Kentucky roots and ties than any one person knows about. Very little has been written about many of them and it is a challenge to find what was written in the past. For some, their stories have only been told by word of mouth. The Notable Kentucky African Americans Database (NKAA) has been developed as a finding aid to bring together a brief description of pertinent names, places, and events, and to list the sources where additional information may be found. This is not currently an all inclusive database, but we are working toward that goal and suggestions are welcomed.
Did you know?
Spencer Bell, born in Lexington, KY, was one of the first African American actors to receive a movie contract in Hollywood during the era of silent…
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The Baptist Church was thought to have established the oldest African American congregation west of the Allegheny Mountains. The history dates back to…
Katie Knox Walters was a Christian advocate on behalf of her husband's work in the AMEZ Church, and she was an activist in the Colored YWCA in New…
There is no record of a colored school in Martin County, KY, though there were African American children of school age in the county [sources:…
Dudley Allen, a slave born in Lexington, KY, was owned by either Walter or John Dunn. Allen would become a noted thoroughbred owner and trainer. He…
In early newspapers arearticles aboutpeople in Kentuckykilled by lightning, andthearticleswere many times front page stories. There are alsolightning…
Submitted by Reinette F. Jones, August 17, 2015 TheKentucky State Penitentiary in Frankfort, KY,opened in 1789 and it was the first state prison.It…
Subjects from the "Pass the Word" database record for the African American Heritage of Simpson County Oral History Project. "Discrimination, Farmers,…
The following information comes from the description in the SPOKE Database. "This project contains interviews concerning the experiences of African…
Below arethe names of African American county extension agents andhome demonstration agents in Kentucky from 1918-1950. The names come from the…
