History of African Americans in Kentucky facts for kids
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| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 353,088 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Louisville | |
| Languages | |
| Southern American English, African American English | |
| Religion | |
| Protestantism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Black Southerners |
Black Kentuckians are people living in Kentucky who have African roots. Their story in Kentucky began at the same time as white settlers. Black Americans helped explore and settle Kentucky alongside famous people like Daniel Boone.
As of 2019, about 8.5% of Kentucky's population is African American. This makes them the second largest ethnic group in the state.
Contents
History of Black Kentuckians
Early Arrivals in Kentucky
The first white explorer of the Ohio Valley, Christopher Gist, traveled with a Black "servant" in 1751. They even found another Black man living in an Indian village.
Daniel Boone also traveled with African Americans on his trips to the west. One Black person guided him across the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1760. Many Black people were part of his group that tried to settle in Kentucky in 1773.
In 1775, Boone led another group of settlers, including many Black people, into Kentucky. They settled near what is now Richmond. Black people played a very important part in defending Boonesborough in 1778. They fought alongside white settlers to protect their new homes.
Slavery and Population Growth
In 1792, Kentucky wrote its first constitution. It said that anyone considered a slave in Virginia was also a slave in Kentucky. In 1798, Kentucky lawmakers passed slave codes. These laws stated that all Black people in Kentucky, whether free or enslaved, had fewer rights than white people. Much of their work involved improving the land, like clearing trees to build cabins and fences.
The number of Black people grew as more settlers brought their slaves.
- By 1777, about 10% of Kentucky residents were Black.
- In 1784, there were an estimated 4,000 Black people.
- By 1790, the Black population grew to 16%, with 11,830 enslaved people and 114 free Black people.
- In 1800, the population was 19% Black, with 41,084 Black residents. The number of free Black people also grew to 741.
After 1790, the Black population steadily increased. It reached its highest point of 24.7% in 1830. At that time, there were 165,213 enslaved people and 4,917 free Black people. The Black population was growing faster than the white population. However, this growth slowed down later. This was partly because there was less need for a large enslaved workforce. Also, a law in 1833 banned bringing more enslaved people into Kentucky. By 1860, Kentucky's Black population was 20%, with 236,167 Black people.
Life in the Mid-1800s
Most people settled beyond the mountains of eastern Kentucky. In many counties, the Black population was less than 10%. Many Black people lived in towns instead of the countryside. This meant they often worked as laborers or household servants.
The soil in the northern counties was not good for growing many crops. Because of this, the enslaved Black population grew slowly in these areas. From 1830 to 1860, the number of Black people in these counties only grew from 7,920 to 9,982.
Civil War and Recognition
When the American Civil War began, enslaved people in Kentucky wanted to gain their freedom. Newspapers often reported about enslaved people running away. In May 1861, states worried about slave revolts. When Union troops arrived in Kentucky, slaveholders tried to stop enslaved people from hearing ideas about ending slavery.
However, Black people learned about the war and how it might affect slavery. They listened to conversations and had literate women read war stories to them. Large groups of enslaved people fled Kentucky to states north of the Ohio River, like Indiana, seeking freedom.
Even though the army in Kentucky had rules, soldiers often let Black people join the Union lines. In September 1862, a soldier reported that about 600 enslaved people joined Union troops in Lebanon, Kentucky. Enslaved people realized they could find protection and authority with the army.
In 1865, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed. This amendment officially ended slavery. However, Kentucky did not approve this amendment until 1976.
About 25,000 African American Kentuckians served in the United States Colored Troops (USCT) during the Civil War. This was almost one-third of all Union soldiers from Kentucky. Only Louisiana had more Black men serve in the Civil War than Kentucky.
A monument in Greenhill Cemetery in Frankfort honors African Americans who fought in the war. One side says, "In Memory of the Colored Soldiers Franklin County, Kentucky Who Fought in the Civil War 1861-1865." The other sides list the names of 142 African American soldiers.
The Jim Crow Era
The Jim Crow era was a time in history when laws created racial segregation. This meant that public places like schools, churches, and neighborhoods were separated by race.
Kentucky started having segregated schools in 1874. In 1884, a lawsuit called Claybrook v. Owensboro tried to get equal money for Black public schools. But Black schools still did not have the same resources as white schools. They often lacked books, supplies, equipment, and even good buildings.
In 1896, the Plessy v. Ferguson court case ruled that "separate but equal" was legal. This led Kentucky to pass the Day Law, which made it illegal for Black and white students to attend the same colleges.
Other places in Kentucky also had segregation. The Eastern State Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky separated mentally ill patients by race. Laws were passed in Madisonville, Kentucky and Louisville, Kentucky to keep white and Black people living in separate areas.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement slowly began to end the Jim Crow era.
Civil Rights Movement (1950-1996)
Starting in 1950, some universities began to admit Black students. These included Kentucky State College, Berea College, University of Louisville, and Bellarmine University.
Also in 1950, a Black man died in a hospital waiting room after a hospital refused him emergency care. This led to a new law that said hospitals could lose their license if they denied emergency health care.
In 1954, the Brown v. Board of Education court case ruled that segregated schools were illegal. The University of Kentucky finally admitted Black students. Public schools in Russellville, Prestonsburg, Owensboro, Waynes County, and Lexington also began to allow all students.
In 1955, housing segregation in Louisville was banned because of a lawsuit by the NAACP. Louisville schools started integrating in 1956. However, a crowd at Sturgis High School protested against eight Black students. Governor Chandler had to send state police and the National Guard to protect them.
In 1957, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association allowed Black schools to join its state tournaments.
In 1960, a campaign in Louisville encouraged people to register to vote. A rally and speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. followed. The Congress on Racial Equality organized protests at local businesses. The Kentucky Commission on Human Rights banned discrimination in state jobs.
In 1961, a boycott called "Nothing New for Easter" was organized to stop segregation in Louisville businesses. Other local groups were created to promote equality in public places and teacher jobs. In 1963, Governor Bert Combs issued an order to increase public access for all, but it was temporarily stopped.
Also in 1963, Harry M. Sykes and Luska Twyman became the first African American city council members in Lexington and Glasgow. Twyman later became the mayor of Glasgow in 1969. The Kentucky Real Estate Commission banned using scare tactics to force Black people out of mixed neighborhoods. This helped form the West End Community Council, which encouraged peaceful integration of Louisville neighborhoods.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed by the U.S. Congress. Kentucky lawmakers did not support a public accommodation bill, which led to a huge march of over 10,000 people in Frankfort, Kentucky. Activists like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Jackie Robinson were at this march. A hunger strike was held to try and pass the bill, but it did not get through the committee.
In 1965, a conference on Civil Rights was held in Louisville to discuss jobs and public places. Finally, in 1966, the General Assembly passed the Kentucky Civil Rights Act. This law addressed the issues discussed at the conference and also passed laws against housing discrimination. Jesse Warders, the only Black member of the General Assembly, helped repeal the Day Law. Bardstown later adopted these laws.
In 1967, Mae Street Kidd was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives. Laws to ban discrimination in housing were passed in Kenton County, Covington, and Lexington. This helped make housing discrimination laws stronger. In 1968, Georgia Davis Powers was elected to the Kentucky Senate. She helped add housing discrimination to the state's Civil Rights Act.
Also in 1968, a protest in Louisville against police mistreatment turned violent. Six African Americans were arrested and charged with planning to bomb oil refineries. After two years of court hearings, the charges were dropped.
Louisville's local housing law was put into action in 1970. Centers opened to help African Americans move into their new neighborhoods. In 1975, busing across school districts in Louisville helped public schools become more equal, though it also caused some racial tension.
In 1976, Mae Street Kidd led a campaign to encourage the General Assembly to approve the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Finally, in 1996, Kentucky officially removed poll taxes and segregated schools from its constitution.
Notable People
- Muhammad Ali, famous boxer, helper of others, and activist (1942–2016)
- Mary E. Britton, doctor, teacher, writer, and civil rights activist (1855–1925)
- Willa Brown Chappell, first licensed African American female pilot (1906–1992)
- Anna Mac Clarke, first Kentucky woman to join the U.S. military after WWII (1919–1944)
- Alice Dunnigan, newspaper writer and teacher (1906-1983)
- Lionel Hampton, jazz musician (1908-2002)
- Mae Street Kidd, businesswoman and community leader (1909-1999)
- Garrett Morgan, inventor (1877-1963)
- Georgia Davis Powers, first African American Kentucky senator (1923-2016)
- Moneta Sleet Jr., first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize for photography (1926-1996)
