whatilearned
Read more: https://www.wave3.com/2020/09/03/black-jockeys-kentucky-derby-history-race-racism/
TIL the first ever Kentucky Derby (1875) was won by Oliver Lewis, a 19 y/o black man.
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I would have thought a horse would have won, but congrats to this gentleman!
If anyone is in the Lexington or Georgetown area of Kentucky, the Kentucky Horse Park has a horse museum that has a lot of information about slaves and African Americans in the horse industry. It’s heartbreaking but also very good information. Highly recommended.
How did he beat all those horses?
and it was 86 degrees outside when he won
Ah, so this guy literally saw slavery and war over it as a little kid.
Highlights:
In the inaugural Derby, 13 of the 15 jockeys were black.
15 of the first 28 Derby’s were won by black jockeys.
Blacks jockeys then banned in 1904, after Jimmy Winkfield won back to back Derby’s in 1901 and 1902.
And it wasn’t until 2000, until there was another black jockey.
So much racism.
EDIT: I see the confusion now, lol. I meant it more like “SO. MUCH. FUCKING. RACISM.” I didn’t know how to quickly summarize all the racist actions (it’s origins and the later banning actions) into one quick bullet point.
Now the kentucky derby is used as a great opportunity to get away with human trafficking!
The only jockey I can name is Willie Shoemaker, from the 50’s and 60’s.
He did not ride any of the horses I can name like Seabiscuit or Secretariat
Who rode him?