The First Steps Towards Inclusiveness in Racing

In a nearly-deserted cemetery in downtown Lexington, Leon Nichols, the founder of the Project to Preserve African American Turf History, spoke about the need to educate the public about racing's history and share the stories of some of the best jockeys the racing world has ever known.

On a sparsely traveled road in downtown Lexington, African Cemetery No. 2 sits encircled by a worn iron fence. The sounds of cars flashing by nearby busier streets, the incessant barking of a neighboring dog and the harsh droning of a drill from the adjacent auto parts shop carry through the isolated eight-acre plot.

Opened in 1869, the site now contains over 5,000 graves, of which fewer than 600 are recognized with markers. The plot inters hundreds of enslaved African Americans, as well as members of the U.S. Colored Troops in the Civil War. It is the burial grounds for attorneys, political activists, doctors, lawyers and, some of the best jockeys the Thoroughbred racing world has ever known.

Leon Nichols, the co-founder and CEO of the Project to Preserve African American Turf History, has traversed the grounds many times.

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