Black Heritage in Racing
February 1 – 28, 2025

The Black Heritage in Racing traveling exhibit serves as a companion piece to the Black Heritage in Racing permanent exhibit at the Kentucky Derby Museum. Beginning in the era of settler colonialism in what would eventually become the United States, the exhibit details how enslaved Africans laid the foundation for horse racing in this part of the world. The exhibit continues by showing how crucial Black Americans were to the early success of the Kentucky Derby, how the era of segregation and Jim Crow drove African Americans from the industry, telling the stories of Black Americans that served as primary caretakers for horses in the 20th century and detailing the initiatives of the Black community to increase the participation of African Americans in the industry in the modern era.

This exhibit will be held at the The Center for African American History, Art and Culture located at 120 York St. NE, Aiken.

The Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum and The Center for African American History, Art and Culture are partnering to provide this exhibit.