As the Kentucky Derby approaches viewers across the nation will hear the controversial state song, “My Old Kentucky Home,” which has been part of the Derby Day traditions since the 1920s. As a rebuttal to the state song, Louisville-based non-profit Kentucky to the World presents “Home,” a poem by local spoken word poet, Hannah Drake, that serves as a compelling response to the Kentucky state song.
Read MoreEmily Bingham’s text masterfully weaves the history of the creation of the actual song, the context of the social and political cultures that embraced it and transformed its meaning, and its still evolving legacy.
Read MoreKentucky’s state motto, “United We Stand, Divided We Fall” might as well be about the bourbon industry and this story is the first peek we’ll give you behind the curtain of how the biggest names in bourbon are working together for the spirit of The Commonwealth.
Read MoreMichael B Smith reflects on his experience with the creation of Derby Pies. “I have many fond memories of Kern’s home. From the consistent, delicious smell of their pies baking in the oven to Mrs. Kern’s daily cooking of the family meals. That house held a lot of sacred memories for my friends and the Kern’s family.”
Read MoreTraveling to Boston or Austin or San Francisco to brag about all the smart people Kentucky has produced in the last 40 years isn’t going to change the way the world sees us. Working together to build a new economy for the Commonwealth will.
Read MoreTruly collaborative efforts must be forward-looking, cross-region, and cross-sector. They must foster, facilitate, and act as a catalyst for developing a culture and capacity for resilient, deliberate innovation. And they must be about designing futures in which all of us can see ourselves. (It’s understandably hard to be excited about a future you don’t see as available to you.) These futures should not merely be open to--rather, I’d argue we’d all benefit when they are significantly driven by--initiatives from voices and communities too often left out of that discussion--innovative efforts/voices from rural communities, communities of color, refugee populations, LGBTQ perspectives, and other groups who have too often not been given equal opportunity to dream what the future might be.
Read MoreWhile many of the biggest names in horse racing history have trained and competed on the land that nearly 100 years ago housed the Kentucky Association racetrack, the space is a reminder of the legacy and eventual erasure of the Black horsemen who created horse racing as we know it today.
Read MoreDana Canedy has received a Pulitzer Prize for reporting, written a celebrated memoir, become the first African American, first woman and youngest person to be elected administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes, and, most recently, taken the position as Publisher and Vice President at Simon & Schuster.
Read MoreShelly Zegart founded Kentucky to the World but she’s more widely known for her work to elevate the art of quilts, a passion that ended up defining over three decades of her life.
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