The Brilliant Career of Isaac Burns Murphy

A Winning Career Full of Accomplishments

The early days of hose racing were vastly different that the modern-day presentation. It is a history that many growing up in Kentucky are unaware exists.

A name unknown to many today, Mr. Murphy was the standard setter and bearer for horse racing in the late 1800s. It was a time when black jockeys dominated horse racing in the United States.

Key Firsts from the Career of Isaac Burns Murphy

♦ First jockey to be inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame

♦ First to win Kentucky Derby back-to-back

♦ First (and only) to win the Kentucky Derby, the Kentucky Oaks, and the Clark Handicap in the same year

♦ First winner of the American Derby

April 30, 2023 Image No Comments

Categories: History

Uncovering the Legacy of Maggie Lena Walker

The interenet makes uncovering the legacy of Maggie Lena Walker fairly easy.

Mrs. Walker was an accomplished businesswoman and activist, who left a remarkable legacy of success. She was a newspaper publisher, bank founder, an active community leader, and a dedicated family woman.

At a time and in a segregated place, Richmond, VA, this African American woman achieved breakthroughs beyond any reasonable expectation for herself and her community.

Establishing a financial institution.

There is debate about her status as the nation’s first female bank president. There is little debate regarding her being the first woman to single-handedly charter a bank—the handful of women who preceded her as bank presidents ascended to their positions at existing banks or formed them with male counterparts.

In 1903, she founded the St. Luke Penny & Savings Bank from an idea she floated in a 1901 speech.

February 8, 2023 5 Comments

Categories: History

History-Making Women

Images of historical black and women: Elizabeth Jennings, Frances Glessner-Lee, Maggie Lena Walker, and Augusta Holmes.

Overlooked History-Making Women

The accomplishments of the history-making women listed below should be known and discussed alongside their males counterparts.

Too often suggested subject lists distributed in schools are decades old and do not reflect the wide-range of contributions of women throughout history and in varied fields.

We’re providing brief introductions to historic females often omitted from history lessons.

If you’re intrigued and want to learn more, use the links provided at the end as a springboard for your research to learn more about these history-making women.

January 9, 2023 Image No Comments

Categories: History