Black excellence, representation highlighted throughout Preakness 149

The rainy weather and muddy ground didn’t stop thousands of people from coming to Baltimore, Maryland’s Pimlico Race Course in their finest threads, chicest hats, and brightest smiles for the& 149th Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 18. A fashionable, athletic event, Preakness 149 was not only a celebration of horse-racing, but featured Black representation and excellence in a way that highlighted the value of African Americans’ contributions to equestrian sports and culture overall. As thousands of guests flocked to see the horse races, eat crab cakes, drink “Black-eyed Susans,” and showcase their flashy attire, hundreds of African Americans traversed the race track to a tent that featured jam-after-jam, an open bar, and people in showstopping clothes, showcasing the beauty of Black joy. This special celebration of Blackness is called Afro Preak. “So many people who have lived in Baltimore all their lives, never came to Preakness, because they didn’t feel it was for them. And so with the help of the Finn Group, which includes LaRian Finney and Derrick Chase, we worked on creating an experience for us, where we could hear our entertainment, have our fashion and style accommodated, and be appreciated at Preakness. Not at some outside party—...