BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Last week, Governor Andy Beshear unveiled a new statewide African American Heritage Trail that features two Bowling Green spots.
The new African American Heritage Trail, part of the New Kentucky Home Intiative, features 50 stops across the commonwealth.
Carrie Cavitt, Community Relations Coordinator with Bowling Green Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, believes this attraction is “really important” to “help people understand the stories” in their perspective communities. She adds having the trail also helps others appreciate the “contributions of African Americans” who initially “shaped these areas.”
The Shake Rag District and the Historic Railpark and Train Museum are among the stops highlighted on the tour. These offer diverse stories that people can immerse themselves in.
Executive Director with the Historic Railpark and Train Museum, Jamie Johnson, says the trail brings “diversity” to Kentucky culture. People can “not only learn about their own heritage but learn others” as well. Johnson believes that “we are all human,” and “we all have a shared history.”
Some of the sites include the Underwood-Jones Home, the State Street Baptist Church, the Segregated Branch of the Bowling Green Public Library, and a few others. Additionally, the tour shares the legacy of Pullman Porters and his impact on labor rights and economic empowerment among the railroad industry.
