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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Sheppard, William Henry

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…

St. Clair, Irvin Webster Sr. "I. W."

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…

Strider, Maurice W.

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,…

Tate, Mary Lee

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…

Walker, Renelda Meeks Higgins

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…

Thompson, Robert L. "Bob"

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…

Pegram, Amelia Blossom

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…

Parks, Suzan-Lori

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…

African American WACs Born in Kentucky

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…