Roots 101 African-American Museum’s new exhibit honors Black Civil War veterans

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The Roots 101 African-American Museum is helping recognize Black veterans who fought in the Civil War.

Nearly 24,000 African American men from Kentucky fought in the war, and some of their stories are being told through a new exhibition in Louisville.

“Every Kentuckian, white or Black, can meditate on what was going on in this state back in the 1850s and the 1860s,” said Dan Gediman, executive director of Reckoning Inc.

The new exhibit, titled “We Fought For Our Freedom,” is a series of photos that showcases 10 former enslaved men that fought with the Union Army’s 108th U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment.

At a press conference on Friday, Gediman explained that the Civil War project grew out of research he was doing for another project.

“So much of our history gets lost in each generation, but yet they need to come back to the main roots,” said Sheila Kavanaugh, a descendent of Pvt. Charles Mudd, a U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment veteran.

Gediman said Kentucky produced the highest percentage of Black soldiers in the Union Army because it was the fastest path to freedom for enslaved men and their families during the Civil War.

The exhibit will run through Dec. 31.

To learn more about the Roots 101 African-American Museum, click here.

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