Nicodemus National Historic Site to host Civil Rights in Kansas: A Comparative Discussion

NPS

NICODEMUS–Nicodemus National Historic Site, in partnership with Nicodemus Historical Society, invites the public to join them for Civil Rights in Kansas: A Comparative Discussion as the second program to commemorate Black History Month this February.

The program will occur on February 23 starting at 1:00 p.m. It will be held at the Nicodemus National Historic Site Visitor Center located at 304 Washington Ave., Nicodemus, KS 67625-3015.

Kansas’ history is inseparable from the broader narrative of civil rights in the United States – from its abolitionist roots to the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954 to the “Free State” moniker that Kansans bear with pride, the legacy of civil rights is woven into the cultural fabric of the state. However, most of the conversation about civil rights in the United States centers on urban areas.

How did a state full of predominantly rural communities experience the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s?

During Civil Rights in Kansas: A Comparative Discussion, we will delve into this question and compare and contrast the experiences of black Kansans in the state capitol of Topeka and in the rural community of Nicodemus.

Nicodemus, Kansas is a predominantly African-American town in rural northwestern Kansas that was home to dozens of black Kansans during the Civil Rights era.

Panelists will include residents and descendants of Nicodemus and a national park ranger from Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka. Bring your ears and your questions as we collectively delve into a little-known aspect of an often-discussed and highly relevant period in our history.

For more information, please contact Jonathan Winskie, Nicodemus NHS at 785-354-1489 x244 or Angela Bates, Nicodemus Historical Society at (785) 839-4280.

Nicodemus National Historic Site is located at 304 Washington Ave. Nicodemus, KS 67625-3015. The visitor center is open from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Admission is free. For more information call (785) 839-4233 or email [email protected].