Dr. Anne Butler History Award
Dr. Butler (1948-2013), served as Associate Professor and Director, Center of Excellence for the Study of Kentucky African Americans (CESKAA), Kentucky State University. Her research in 2004 uncovered the fact that Oliver Lewis, the first jockey to win the 1875 Kentucky Derby, was buried in African Cemetery No. 2. Butler created a database of eighty-seven other horsemen buried there, the first that had ever been developed. To further inform the public, Butler wrote news articles and produced exhibits and displays for the Kentucky State Fair and local events in Louisville and Lexington.
In 2019, in honor of Dr. Butler, Phoenix Rising Lex established an award in her name to be given annually to an individual who has researched and promoted the history of African Americans in the equine industry.
2019
Yvonne Giles
Yvonne Giles and Dr. Butler were members of the board of African Cemetery No. 2. During Giles’ first years as a member, Butler asked, then urged, her to become involved in the research in which she was engaged. Giles has continued to add to Dr. Butler’s database of African Americans in the equine industry. To date, one-hundred-sixty-two horsemen rest in African Cemetery No. 2. (www.africancemeteryno2.org/horsemen)
Giles served as consultant to the International Museum of the Horse as they developed the exhibit Black Horsemen of the Kentucky Turf and the website Chronicle of African Americans in the Horse Industry. She has written articles for the Kentucky Humanities magazine and the exhibit catalog for the J.B. Speed Art Museum and co-authored the brochure for Phoenix Rising Lexington.
2020
Reinette Jones
Jones was recognized for her work in documenting Kentucky horsemen as well as those who worked in other states, but originally from Kentucky. She is co-creator and database manager for the Notable Kentucky African Americans website.
The extensive collection features those who performed all types of work with horses. It tells the story of African Americans involvement in creating a multimillion-dollar industry. https://nkaa.uky.edu/nkaa/
Jones, a native of Bourbon County, Kentucky, received a B.A. degree in 1983 and M.A. degree in 1988 in library science. She is Professor/Librarian 1, Special Collections Research Center with the Margaret I. King Research Library, UK. She is author of Library Service to African Americans in Kentucky, published by McFarland & Company, Inc, North Carolina, 2002.
2021
Becky Ryder
A native of Virginia, Becky always wanted to be a librarian and set her sights on gaining as much experience and education as possible to achieve her goal. As a student at the University of Virginia she worked as a music librarian and after graduation moved to work as a reference librarian. Having earned her Master of Library Science in 1992, she traveled across to Kentucky where she became Head Librarian for Preservation Services at UK.
In May 2010 she moved to Keeneland Library as Director and administer of library operations, capital planning, succession planning and personnel management. During this time, Becky has organized the library’s holdings on African Americans in the industry into extensive files and folders. She speared headed the formation of Phoenix Rising Lexington when she hosted and promoted Dr. Pellom McDaniel’s III visit to Lexington to present his biography, Prince of Jockeys: The Life of Isaac Burns Murphy. For these reasons and her tireless, passionate interest in promoting the history of African Americans in the Thoroughbred industry, she was chosen as the recipient of the 2021 Dr. Anne Butler History Award.
2022
Lisa Higgins-Hord, Assistant V.P. for Community Engagement, University of Kentucky
In 2010 as Dr. Anne Butler was starting to research and gather information on the African American men in the racing industry, Lisa encouraged African Cemetery No.2’s application for a Community Collaborative Grant awarded by the University of Kentucky. She had pitched and supported this nomination to the administration. A $10,000 award enabled the Cemetery to hire student researchers for their Young Equestrian Scholars initiative, place informational panels in the cemetery, and produce and print informational brochures.
In 2012, Lisa presented the concept of a bus tour through East End Lexington to William Wells Brown Elementary school and others. The tour centered heavily around the former racetrack and from this tour, a printed tour guide was developed for future presentations.
Lisa has continued to support Phoenix Rising and its mission and programs as well as other programs in support of the African American community.