LEXINGTON,Ky. — Cheapside in downtown Lexington was once used as a slave auction block where many Kentuckians were sold. Forster Ockerman, the president of the Lexington History Museum says Lexington was the main location for the slave trade in Kentucky. 

“It is named after a farmers market area of London, England called Cheapside. And basically that comes from old Saxon, and it means marketplace, a place to buy and sell things.” Ockerman said. 

The Lexington History Museum said that the surrounding areas were also used by specialists who worked in the slave-trading business to hold their slaves in jails or pens until they were ready to sell

That’s why with all the protesting going on about racial injustice, an organization called Take Back Cheapside is asking to see changes with the Cheapside Marketplace and surrounding areas.  

“As always, in these types of things, there's always room for improvement. A lot of people want to settle on a reform as opposed to a complete overhaul of a system. And I think there's always going to be room for Lexington to improve.” Russell Allen, co-founder of Take Back Cheapside said.

The organization's main goal is to honor the black lives that were sold and taken in the Cheapside Marketplace. 

“Honoring some of the people in Fayette County that have been lynched, honoring the fact that that was a slave auction block, making sure that it's not lifted up with a name change.” Allen said.