LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A new exhibit at the Muhammad Ali Center honors Black soldiers from Kentucky who served in the Civil War.
"Follow in Their Bootsteps: Stories of Kentucky’s Black Civil War Soldiers" opened on Veterans Day and will remain through February 2026, according to a news release.
The exhibit highlights Black soldiers who served in roles from driving supply wagons and working in field kitchens to guarding prisoners and fighting on the front lines.
Some witnessed Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s surrender. Others survived deadly attacks, including an ambush in Simpsonville, Kentucky.
It was dangerous for Black men in Kentucky to join the Union Army, as Kentucky was the last state to let them enlist even after it became legal in 1864, according to a news release from the Muhammad Ali Center.
Nearly 24,000 Black men from Kentucky enlisted, making up roughly 13% of all U.S. Colored Troops and one-quarter of Kentucky’s Union Army soldiers.
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