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The Hays Public Library in will host “Children of the Promised Land,” a presentation and discussion by Angela Bates on June 18 at 1:00 p.m. in the gallery.
Nicodemus, a small unincorporated town in Graham County, is the only remaining western town that was established by African Americans during the Reconstruction Period following the Civil War. The presentation will be a pictorial history that explores the unique experiences of the children of Nicodemus who were the first members of their families born free from the physical and psychological effects of slavery.
Angela Bates is the executive director of the Nicodemus Historical Society. She presents educational programs across the nation covering Nicodemus, Exodusters and black towns in the West, Buffalo Soldiers, and black women in the West.
“My great uncle, Henry Williams, was the first baby born in Nicodemus just a month after my great-grandmother Emma arrived with the first group of settlers in 1877,” Bates said.
“He was one of the first in his generation born on the free soils of Kansas. He represents the many children of his generation that were reared by parents who were former slaves.”
“Children of the Promised Land” is part of the Kansas Humanities Council’s Kansas Stories Speakers Bureau, featuring presentations and discussions that examine our shared human experience — our innovations, culture, heritage, and conflicts.
Members of the community are invited to attend the free program. The program is made possible by the Kansas Humanities Council.
The Kansas Humanities Council conducts and supports community-based programs, serves as a financial resource through an active grant-making program and encourages Kansans to engage in the civic and cultural life of their communities. For more information about KHC programs contact the Kansas Humanities Council at 785-357-0359 or visit online at www.kansashumanities.org.
For more information about “Children of the Promised Land” contact the Hays Public Library at (785) 625-9014 or visit www.hayspublib.org.