Kentucky’s Black Trailblazers Celebrated In Augmented Way

Louisville, KY (July 16, 2024) – A new experience brings the stories of Kentucky’s Black Trailblazers to life through a fully immersive experience that inspires and educates travelers and locals alike with a rich tapestry of stories. Now available, the Kentucky Black Trailblazers is a transformative, first-of-its-kind experience that celebrates the influential Black figures who shaped the history of the Commonwealth and beyond. Six tourism agencies partnered on the project - Louisville, Oldham County, Bardstown, Elizabethtown, ShelbyKY and Shepherdsville-Bullitt County - after receiving federal ARPA grant funds distributed by the Kentucky Department of Tourism to assist with project funding.

Two years of work went into creating the Kentucky Black Trailblazers experience, which includes 19 stops where users will hear and see, via Augmented Reality (AR), the stories of Muhammad Ali, Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Oliver Lewis, Civil Rights Leader Whitney M. Young, Jr., and more. The experience locations, which are listed on KyBlackTrailblazers.com, include signage containing QR codes. Users will scan a QR code with their device to launch the experience; there is no cost associated with participating in the Kentucky Black Trailblazers.

The AR experience used in the Kentucky Black Trailblazers was created by the innovation studio, Tactic. Building on the creative direction and historical guidance of the tourism agencies, Tactic worked with production partners to digitize the reenactments in three dimensions, allowing the historical figures to speak to users through QR code-enabled signage.

For more information, visit KyBlackTrailblazers.com.