Beloved local historian, Yvonne Giles, sits down with Naomi, this month’s guest host, to discuss her research into Lewis and Harriet Hayden and their lives in Lexington. In this double length episode, Ms. Giles tells us about the Hayden’s well-planned escape from slavery in Lexington, how they made it to Boston, and Lewis Hayden’s work as an abolitionist. She also tells us about her work with the Lexington Freedom Train project, and Friends Toward Freedom, which seeks to highlight Lexington’s enslaved persons and their paths to freedom on Kentucky’s Underground Railroad.

Ms. Giles was one of the first in our community to call attention to a lack of local Black history research and education. Her work in local history is so well known that in 2019 the University of Kentucky awarded her an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. Since 2021, the Blue Grass Trust has annually bestowed the Yvonne Giles Award acknowledging contributions to local African American history research. Ms. Giles’ many endeavors have included promoting the celebration of Juneteenth in Lexington. Last year’s Juneteenth celebration included the unveiling of a statue titled “Towards Freedom,” which is the first phase of a monument dedicated to Lewis and Harriet Hayden, and work has begun on the second phase of the park as of September 2026.