Kinkeadtown is a historically African American section of
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County. By population, it is the List of cities in Kentucky, second-largest city in Kentucky and List of United States cities by popul ...
. It was established near the home of
George Blackburn Kinkead (former
Secretary of State of Kentucky
The secretary of state of Kentucky is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is now an elected office, but was an appointed office prior to 1891. The current secretary of state is Republican Michael Adams, who was e ...
), several years after the American Civil War. The land was subdivided by Kinkead in 1870 and sold exclusively to African Americans. In 1880 it was populated by about 20 families and grew to include over 300 residents. Cities had growing populations of African Americans during the era. Kinkead's home is now the
Living Arts and Science Center. An archaeological report on the area was published in 1996.
Many of the original homes in Kinkeadtown were destroyed in a redevelopment effort during the 1990s. Lilia Garrison (born 1908), a resident of the area, was interviewed for an oral history project. Mary Edna Berry, another resident, was also interviewed in 1989.
was another area of Lexington developed for African Americans and named for the developer, a nephew of
Cassius Clay
Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...
.
References
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Neighborhoods in Lexington, Kentucky
African-American history of Kentucky
History of racial segregation in the United States