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.
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Charles L. Purce was president of Selma University (1886-1893) and State University (Simmons University) in Louisville, KY. He was considered one of…
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Harry Mordecai, a plasterer, was one of the early freemen in Frankfort, KY, and he was a prominent member of the small community of Colored free men…
Born in Mount Washington, KY, Lisa Harrison was a 6'1" forward when she played high school basketball at Louisville Southern, where she scored more…
Born in Louisville, KY, Kym Hampton graduated from Iroquois High School in 1980, where she was a basketball and track star. She played college ball at…
Darrell A. Griffith was born in Louisville, KY. He was invited to the 1976 Olympic trials as a high school basketball player. As a 6' 4" guard at the…
Jack Givens was born in Lexington, KY. A 6' 4" forward and guard, he scored 41 points while leading the University of Kentucky to victory in the 1978…
Born in Florida, Artis Gilmore came to Kentucky in 1971 to play center for the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association (ABA). The…
The 6'4" center was a member of the 1953 Kentucky High School Athletic League (KHSAL) championship basketball team from Dunbar High School in…
