Ed Brown Society

Ed Brown Scholars, Jordyn Elder and Jaida Alee, have been placed as student interns at Keeneland, and Ed Brown Fellow Timothy Campbell, Jr. has been placed as a Keeneland Library Associate as the partnership between Keeneland and the Ed Brown Society continues to develop in its first year. Alee is a sophomore at the University of Kentucky, majoring in Equine Science and Management and Elder is on schedule to graduate with honors, from Kentucky State University in May of 2023, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Campbell is...

The second round of 1/ST interns placed through the Ed Brown Scholars-Fellows program will be Zaharia Selman and Shaska Davis. The two will spend the next 10 weeks at Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park, and Pimlico Race Course. Ed Brown Fellow Selman graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Georgia last year with a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science. Ed Brown Scholar Davis will graduate this summer from Kentucky State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications. "We are very excited to embark upon...

Edited Press Release The Ed Brown Society announced six new Ed Brown Scholars on Tuesday evening at the Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center during opening night of an art exhibit celebrating African American equestrians. The event was co-sponsored by the Ed Brown Society, Breeders' Cup Festival Week and Commerce Lexington. Jaida Alee, a sophomore at the University of Kentucky majoring in Equine Science and Management; Chanler Robinson, a junior at Ohio State University majoring in Animal Science; Sophia Vega, a freshman at the University of Kentucky majoring in Animal...

The 2022 Breeders' Cup Festival Week in Lexington features a series of events aimed to bring together locals and visitors alike in the days leading up to the main event at Keeneland. The week-long celebration kicks off on Sunday, Oct. 30, with the Isaac Murphy Art Garden Party and Family Stroll. Participants have the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of legends as they stroll from the Isaac Murphy Art Garden to Oliver Lewis Way along the newly-completed Town Branch Commons, a public-private trail system that follows Town Branch Creek...

Keeneland is making a $50,000 contribution to the Ed Brown Society to become an official Ed Brown Partner. This multifaceted partnership will further opportunities for young people of color to gain exposure, experience and professional job placements in the Thoroughbred industry. As a cornerstone of the partnership, Ed Brown Society (EBS) will identify, recruit and place qualified minority students for paid professional internships within the Keeneland team. Upon the completion of their internships, EBS will provide ongoing direction to these interns as they progress toward permanent professional placements in the...

Edited Press Release The Lexington Black Prosperity Initiative (LBPI) and the Blue Grass Community Foundation (BGCF) have announced an award of $50,000 to further the mission of the Ed Brown Society. The award consists of pooled funding from LBPI, BGCF and the Walton Family Foundation, through the Better Together Grants program. The Ed Brown Society (EBS) will use these funds to provide scholarships and professional development opportunities to students of color pursuing professional careers within the equine industry. EBS Chairman Greg Harbut said, "We're excited about what this award will...

Churchill Downs has become an Ed Brown Partner, the organization announced during a press conference with Governor Andy Beshear in attendance Wednesday morning. The Ed Brown Partnership of $50,000 is the highest level of participation in support of the work of the society, which is named in honor of Edward Dudley Brown, who was born into enslavement in Lexington, and went on to become one of the most accomplished horsemen in the history of Thoroughbred racing. The society is dedicated to increasing  minority participation in the industry. Wednesday's press conference...

1/ST and the Ed Brown Society have teamed up to offer a paid internship program for African American students. Founded by Living the Dream Racing & Stables and led by Greg Harbut and Ray Daniels, the Ed Brown Society celebrates the rich history of African Americans in the equine industry and creates opportunities for young people of color to gain industry exposure, training and experience through internships and scholarships. The multi-year commitment of $150,000 made by 1/ST will cover all costs associated with the paid internship program which will enable...

The Racing Biz, LLC, a media company focused on Thoroughbred racing and breeding in the mid-Atlantic region, has partnered with freelance journalist Teresa Genaro and National Thoroughbred Racing Association Director of Communications Alicia Hughes to launch a series of digital panel discussions designed to tackle issues of diversity and inclusion within the Thoroughbred industry. The series, titled "Truth to Power," will bring together various participants within the racing realm to share their perspectives on racial, gender, and social inequality and how it impacts the sport as a whole. In addition...

Greg Harbut's mission to make horse racing more diverse has taken take him back to the classroom. Starting in January, he began a lecture series as part of an entrepreneur residency program at Wilberforce University in which he delivers the message to the students at the historically Black university that getting involved in racing can be a terrific career opportunity. It's his latest attempt to help racing solve what is clearly a problem--its lack of diversity. "It's a wonderful industry, an industry I hold near to my heart and an...