At the turn of the 20th century, African-American communities could be found in some half dozen locations in Jefferson County. Freed African-Americans at the conclusion of the Civil War developed most of the settlements. These settlements are particularly important because they developed from the mass migration of African-Americans into Louisville. While this urban migration continued for more than a half-century, a virtually undocumented rural movement was fostered in small settlements and on farmsteads. The Petersburg area was one of the country’s earliest African-American communities, which began prior to the Civil War along the Newburg Turnpike in the southeastern section of the county.


Other settlements started by African Americans include: Berrytown, east of Anchorage (named after Alfred Berry); and Griffytown, south of Anchorage (named after Dan Griffy). After emancipation, freed slaves settled in a region of Harrods Creek known as “The Neck,” which is near present-day Hoskins Beach Road. These four African-American settlements, Petersburg, Berrytown, Griffytown and part of Harrods Creek, continued as African-American communities and many of the current residents are descendants of the original settlers.


Through the process of white abandonment and African-American replacement, several of Louisville’s neighborhoods became predominantly African-American communities. These communities are: Limerick Historic District located in Central Louisville; Virginia Avenue is the landmark street by which the Parkland District is generally identified; Chickasaw District, the African-American Chickasaw Park was established in 1922; Russell District, which became the center of social and commercial activities for middle-class African-Americans; Southwestern and Northwestern Parkways, where some of West Louisville’s oldest and most prestigious homes are located; and the Smoketown District, which is the only residential neighborhood in the city of Louisville where the building stock reflects the social, economic, and political conditions of African-American life in Louisville from the end of the Civil War until the middle of World War II. Although many of these neighborhoods suffered from some years of neglect, a revitalization effort is well underway.

Louisville Metro’s numerous colleges and universities are home to an average of 2,500 international students each year. Students and educators come to Louisville from all over the world through exchange and other programs and may spend a semester or a year studying in the community. These students add to the diversity of college campuses and bring unique perspectives and cultural awareness to students’ overall experiences. A large number of international students came to Louisville as immigrants or refugees. Having completed all the prerequisites for college admission, these students are earning two and four year degrees and making strong contributions to Louisville’s economic, medical, educational, legal and governmental institutions. Whether an exchange student or a permanent resident, these international students are a net gain for the community, and Louisville Metro welcomes and supports them through a variety of programs and agencies designed specifically to meet their needs.