This February, stroll down the Ida B. Wells Corridor at Harold Washington Library Center to see The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers, a traveling pop-up exhibit on the legacy of Black jockeys, trainers and racehorse owners. The Heart of the Turf was created by Keeneland Library in Lexington, Kentucky, using images from their archival collections to share this little-known history. This exhibit is hosted at Chicago Public Library in celebration of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History’s 2025 theme, “African Americans and Labor.”
Curator’s Statement from Keeneland Library Director Roda Ferraro:
The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers traveling exhibit, developed by Keeneland Library and shared with Harold Washington Public Library Center by Donald Pendleton, highlights the lives and careers of 100 African American athletes and horsemen and women from the mid-1800s to the present. One-of-a-kind photographs from Keeneland Library collections capture moments across their varied careers, while biographical vignettes honor their lasting legacies.
From athlete superstars to vital behind-the-scenes caretakers of horses, The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers showcases select stories of the countless African Americans who forged their way across the country from the era of slavery to the present, making the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry what it is today. These pioneers' vital strides continue to pave the way for African Americans seeking careers as athletes in the saddle or in equine science, horse care and management, veterinary medicine, and industry leadership.
The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers will be on display in the Ida B. Wells Corridor at Harold Washington Library Center from February 7 to February 28.
