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Every year, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame holds its induction ceremony in early August. This year's class included modern racehorses Gun Runner and Justify, jockey Joel Rosario, influential horsemen Harry Guggenheim and Clement Hirsch, and prominent horses from the 1800s Lecomte and Aristides. Also included was one of the dominant black horsemen of the 1800s Abe Hawkins.
While black horsemen have gained some attention in recent years, the name Abe Hawkins is not as familiar to some as those of Isaac Murphy, Jimmy Winfield, Ed Brown, and others. Now, Hawkins has found his rightful place in the Hall of Fame.
As noted in his official Hall of Fame biography, "Hawkins lived a life that was extraordinary, tragic, and mysterious." He was "one of the most talented and accomplished American athletes both before and in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, Hawkins was revered for his exceptional skills as a jockey. He won major events, set records, received praise in the press, and had his innovative riding style popularized by jockeys of subsequent generations."
Continuing, his biography aptly notes the time in history when he rode: "Those triumphs and glories, however, were juxtaposed against a difficult and sad reality — Hawkins was an enslaved person for much of his life and there are numerous gaps in his story. Many of his most celebrated achievements as a jockey occurred while he was the property of wealthy southern slaveholder Duncan F. Kenner, one of the most prominent breeders and owners of racehorses in the country."
Greg Harbut and Clark Williams of the Ed Brown Society had the privilege of accepting the honor on behalf of Hawkins. Williams spoke eloquently at the ceremony, encouraging the industry to use the occasion as a springboard to do better in its efforts to commit to diversity and inclusion.
A few links to learn more about Hawkins are included here. For further information about Hawkins and the role of black horsemen in the history of both racing and American economic and political history, Katherine Mooney's in depth look in her book Race Horse Men: How Slavery and Freedom Were Made at the Racetrack is a great resource and read.
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