by Dianne Anderson

No one needs a horse in the race or to get back in the saddle to attend the upcoming Adrian Dell & Carmen Roberts Foundation 7th Annual Jazz Fundraiser Event: Derby After Dark.

But they will break out their fancy hats, fedoras, and bowties while catching up on a forgotten piece of history, back when Black jockeys ruled the Kentucky Derby.

By 1875, at least 13 of the 15 riders in the very first race were Black, and they had won 15 of the first 28 Derbies.

Renee Manier said they were the real stars of those early days, and then came Jim Crow and segregation. Exclusion pushed Black jockeys off the tracks, and by the early 20th century, they had all disappeared from top-level racing.

At the event, she will spotlight some of their legacy.

“What people may not know is that kind of history behind Black jockeys and the Kentucky Derby. I’m going to have portraits so people can get a little education while they’re there,” said Manier, chair of the ADCR Annual Jazz Fundraiser, Adrian Dell & Carmen Roberts Foundation.

On Saturday, November 8, Derby After Dark, the community is invited to join the 7th Annual Jazz Event, Derby After Dark, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m., to be held at R Banquet, located at 3740 Park Sierra Drive in Riverside. Tickets are $130.

Guests can expect elegant wining and dining, featuring live jazz performances, dinner, and a silent auction showcasing the renowned artwork by the iconic Charles Bibbs, along with special raffle items. She said MC Bishop Harris will continue to lead the program again this year.

Carmen and Dell Roberts

“We were very methodical on how we set up the room,” she said. “We’ll have the big horseshoe, we’ll have the flowers that are on the table, and we will have ribbons because you get a ribbon when you win. It’s going to be really nice.”

This year, she said two extraordinary women, Dr. Angela Martin and Nefertiti Long, will be honored for their outstanding contributions to the community and leadership.

Manier remembers when she first started the event as a first-time fundraiser, and seven years later, she said it continues to be a labor of love. Through the program, many good efforts are supported that go back to help the community.

While she admits she is not an expert fundraiser, she works for a very supportive, generous company.

“I have a lot of friends that believe in the cause and make donations,” she said. “It’s been a blessing for us to continue each year and end up with an overflow, that we didn’t spend more than we make.”

Not everyone will show out for the event, but everyone can help support the cause with any donation amount, which in turn helps many in the community through a variety of programs, including the Black History Parade and scholarships.

Typically, when attending the Kentucky Derby, women wear their cutest flower dresses with big fancy hats, and men wear their fedoras or bowties and suits. It’s more than the look, she said they want the community to come out and celebrate.

A lot of creative touches will set the tone for the night and keep the excitement going, and it also pays off to dress the part.

“Basically, if they don’t know anything about the Kentucky Derby, they’ll find out that night,” she said. “They don’t know this yet, there is a little something for the best [dressed] person, woman that has the best hat, or guy who has the best bowtie or hat, there’s a prize for the hat.”

Long-time volunteer for the foundation, Russel Ward, said Derby After Dark is a big hit every year, first held at the Mayor’s patio as Jazz on the Rooftop, and has been sold out ever since.

Two days after Derby After Dark, on November 11, they will also hold their 3rd annual golf tournament, a fundraiser to support Black History Month. Last July, the nonprofit organization also held its 23rd annual backpack giveaway at Bordwell Park/Stratton Center in Riverside.

“It takes a village has always been our main theme,” said Ward, Co-Chair of the Parade & Expo Committee, and Chair of the Annual Backpack Giveaway. “That’s for them to come out and fellowship and enjoy what we put out there for them to get together to fellowship and have a good time.”

Each year, the Derby After Dark theme brings a different era. In the past, the Mardi Gras, Caribbean night, Harlem nights made the events all the more surprising. For the past three years, he said Lorie V. Moore and the band have been phenomenal.

This year, he is excited about all the performances and people, and supporting the greater cause.

“I’m looking forward to that, and looking forward to rubbing elbows with the attendees that we see annually, usually at this event. It’s still overall fellowship with the community, and those that support us over the years,” he said.

To support the cause, see https://adcrfoundation.org/

To learn more about Black jockeys, see https://www.derbymuseum.org/blackheritage.html