Augmented reality journey honors Kentucky Black Trailblazers

Augmented Reality is now on display through a project in Shelby County.

It's a partnership between six Kentucky Tourism Agencies and it's called the Kentucky Black Trailblazers Experience.

The initiative celebrates influential black figures who shaped the history of the Commonwealth.

"It is cutting edge technology, and we don't want to call it a trail, it's bigger than a trail," Janette Marson, Shelby County, KY Tourism President and CEO said.

The initiative celebrates influential black figures who shaped the history of the Commonwealth, and it's a first-of-its-kind AR experience anywhere in the country.

"It's history like you've never seen before,bringing historians to life, literally," Marson added.

One of the stops for the Kentucky Black Trailblazers Experience is Shelby County. With a smartphone, people can walk up to the signage in the Veterans Memorial Plaza area, scan a QR Code, and that will launch the experience. The AR was created by Tactic out of Los Angeles, California.

"They took it to a next level, full people from head to toe. They look like they were standing right next to you," Marson said.

Through this initiative, people will learn about 19 stories of strength and resilience.

"From the black historians that I've talked to, black history is mostly verbal, it's from mother to son. It's passed down that way, so a lot of the history isn't known. That's why this project is so important," Marson said.

It's to honor and preserve the remarkable contributions of Muhammad Ali, Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Oliver Lewis, Civil Rights Leader Whitney M. Young, Jr., and several others.

Shelby, Kentucky, Louisville, Oldham County, Bardstown, Elizabethtown and Shepherdsville-Bullitt County are partners in the project, and they received federal ARPA Grant Funds distributed by the Kentucky Department of Tourism. Information on addresses where you can the Kentucky Black Trailblazers Experience can be found on KYBlackTrailblazers.com.