LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – The red carpet was rolled out and the lights shone brightly as 22 of Lexington’s most influential sports figures and sports teams were recognized by the Lexington African American Sports Hall of Fame (LAASHOF).
“We grew up hearing these names, these legends that we honor tonight,” said Jennifer Jones, co-founder of LAASHOF. “We all played sports growing up and they were our role models.”
The Central Bank Center was filled with a variety of memories, from those whose imprint on Lexington’s youth was longstanding and indelible, to others who left the Fayette County lines to become on World Series winners, NBA pros and more.
Jones noted that all of these historic pieces will become part of a brick-and-mortar LAASHOF museum to open in the future.
Jones says they were careful to include several additions from bygone eras in this first class, because they had to break down barriers to play and coach the sports they loved.
“Especially those from the segregated era, they paved the way for some of the people we’re recognizing tonight,” Jones said.
Among the inductees were a 1956 Douglass team that reached the national championship in black high school basketball … and an all-star 1959 Dunbar basketball team.
“They had All-Americans, people who went on to the pros,” Jones said. “But when they came home, it was as if they had never left. So we wanted to make them feel special.”
While they used the night to salute Lexington’s black sports history, they also wanted to give back by looking toward its future. Three Lexington student-athletes received LAASHOF scholarships to support their college careers.
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