Reckoning, Inc.

Reckoning, Inc. is 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to examine the legacy of slavery in America, and to create ways for communities to engage with this information through research projects, media productions, educational curricula, online content, and other means.  

1879, Louisa Taylor holding Helen Chenoweth Stites
1879, Louisa Taylor holding Helen Chenoweth Stites

The Reckoning Radio and Podcast Series

The Reckoning is a public radio and podcast series which traces the history and lasting impact of slavery in America by looking at how the institution unfolded in Kentucky.  Learn more  

Kentucky U.S. Colored Troops Project

We are researching the lives of soldiers from Kentucky’s U.S. Colored Troops to create a set of primary source documents for each man and his family, coupled with a detailed family tree. We have created a free, searchable database to house these resources, and are developing educational curricula based on the archival documents.

 

To learn more, please read a Courier Journal cover story about the project, watch a video presentation done for the Filson Historical Society in Louisville, or listen to an episode about the Kentucky U.S. Colored Troops Project on the Think Humanities podcast.

Pvt. Abram Garvin, Company F, 108th U.S. Colored Infantry
Pvt. Abram Garvin, Company F, 108th U.S. Colored Infantry
Rev. Sgt. Elijah P. Marrs, Company L, 12th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery
Rev. Sgt. Elijah P. Marrs 12th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery

Soldier Stories

This is a series of articles about people and issues about Kentucky’s U.S. Colored Troops, many of which have been commissioned by African American writers. These pieces are intended to transform information from our soldier database into narratives about these men and their families that give a human face to their lives and experiences. Many of the Soldier Stories feature photographs of individual soldiers and archival documents relating to their military service and their lives after the Civil War. You’ll find all the Soldier Stories here.

Oral Histories of Formerly Enslaved Kentuckians

We have compiled a collection of oral histories of people enslaved in Kentucky, which can be searched by keyword and geographic location. You’ll find these oral histories here

John W. Fields in 1937
John W. Fields in 1937, Age 89
Unknown Kentucky sharecroppers
Unknown Kentucky sharecroppers

Curricula 

Reckoning, Inc.’s resources for elementary, middle, and high school educators include a searchable database of over 100 oral histories of formerly enslaved Kentuckians, as well as inquiry materials aligned to the Kentucky Academic Standards for Social Studies. Educators will also find resources to support teaching responsibly with archival oral histories.  Learn more

We sincerely thank our funders for their generous support!

Visit GuideStar for more information about Reckoning, Inc., including financial reports and nonprofit data.  

Foundation Center, the leading source for insight on philanthropy worldwide, and GuideStar, the leading source of information on nonprofit organizations, have merged to become a new nonprofit entity named Candid.

We sincerely thank our funders for their generous support!