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?
Golden Jubilee of the General Association of Colored Baptists in Kentucky: the story of 50 years' work from 1865-1915 including many photos and…
Recently Updated/Added
William H. Sheppard was born in Waynesboro, Virginia. He was a devoted Presbyterian whose parents had been enslaved. His father was a barber and his…
Born in Louisville, KY, Irvin Webster St. Clair, Sr. was the first African American to earn a fine arts degree from Indiana University. He was one of…
Maurice W. Strider, born in Lexington, KY, the son of Hayse and Bessie Cooper Strider. He was a graduate of old Dunbar High School, Fisk University,…
Mary L. Tate was an artist and an art teacher. She was a 1911 graduate of the University of Cincinnati and also studied at the Cincinnati Art Academy…
Born Renelda Meeks in Louisville, KY, she is the sister of Kenneth Meeks, Michael Meeks, and Reginald Meeks. She was the art director of Social…
Robert L. "Bob" Thompson was born in Louisville, KY. He had a nine-year art career for which he received acclaim and success, completing over 1,000…
Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Amelia Blossom Pegram was a teacher, writer, performer, and poet. She began teaching in South Africa, then left the…
Suzan-Lori Parks was born in Fort Knox, KY, but lived in a number of states; her father was in the military. This playwright has received a number of…
This is a partial list of the African American women born in Kentucky who served in the WACs. The information comes from World War II Army Enlistment…
