When Tantalissia Champs and James Lin registered for a slavery and records practicum taught by Kathryn Newfont in the fall of 2023, they had no idea how impactful their experience would be.
'These deeds give names': Lexington's digitization project sheds new light on the lives of enslaved people wuky.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wuky.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The project aims to help families and researchers piece together information and previously unknown stories about enslaved people who lived in Central Kentucky.
The Digital Access Project is a collaboration between the city and the University of Kentucky which took thousands of Lexington’s earliest records, including slave and land records, and made them available online.
Fayette County will be the first county in Kentucky to digitize its historical property records dating back to the late 1700s. The community partnership includes University of Kentucky’s Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies, the Fayette County Clerk, the Lexington Black Prosperity Initiative, Blue Grass Community Foundation and its Knight Foundation Donor Advised Charitable Fund.