by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 10:54 AM ET, Mon March 29, 2021
The Kentucky Derby Museum has officially opened its Black Heritage in Racing exhibit today, March 29.
The exhibit has been a permanent fixture within the museum since 1993, but it was moved from the second floor to the first floor, in a larger, more prominent location. This new space is about 930 square feet, which is twenty times larger than the previous space.
Black Heritage in Racing documents the contributions and history of Black horsemen in the nation's most popular horse racing event. It traces the history from the Derby's beginning, when Black horsemen had dominated the sport, to the Jim Crow era that led to the exclusion of Black jockeys, to the modern era.
Visitors can learn about Oliver Lewis, the first jockey to win the Kentucky Derby with Aristides in 1875, along with Aristides' trainer, Ansel Williamson. The exhibit also details the story of Isaac Murphy, one of the greatest jockeys of all time, who was born enslaved and won about 44% of all of his races. There are so many stories that deserve to be heard, and the new space will make room for these stories to thrive.
The larger space will allow the museum to add more displays and artwork, oral history interviews and more. The museum had also launched several new tours last year, as part of the Black Heritage in Racing Collection.
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