Kauffman Museum will host “Free Did Not Mean Welcome,” a presentation and discussion by Carmaletta Williams, Feb. 9 at 3 p.m. in the museum auditorium.
The program is made possible by Kansas Humanities and is free and open to the public.
It is being given at Kauffman Museum in conjunction with the current special exhibit on immigration, “Unlocking the Past.”
Said Kauffman Museum Director Andi Schmidt Andres, “The ‘Unlocking the Past’ exhibit looks beyond European immigration to communities of individuals who moved to Kansas from within the United States or were displaced in approximately the same time period.”
Millions of African Americans walked away from the South after Emancipation in 1863, looking for freedom. For some it meant a journey to Kansas.
They believed “free state” meant free of racial discrimination – only to realize that for Black people in Kansas, “free” did not necessarily mean “welcoming.”
Williams, a former professor of English and African-American studies at Johnson County Community College, is currently chief executive officer of the Black Archives of Mid- America in Kansas City.
“Free Did Not Mean Welcome” is part of the Humanities Kansas Speakers Bureau and of “21st Century Civics,” a collection of resources that invite Kansans to participate in community discussions and learn more about the history of American democracy and the shared responsibilities of citizenship.
“21st Century Civics” is made possible with support from “A More Perfect Union: America at 250,” an initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Humanities Kansas is an independent nonprofit leading a movement of ideas to empower the people of Kansas to strengthen their communities and democracy. Since 1972, their pioneering programming, grants and partnerships have documented and shared stories to spark conversations and generate insights. Together with partners and supporters, Humanities Kansas inspires all Kansans to draw on history, literature, ethics and culture to enrich their lives and serve the communities and state they all proudly call home. Visit humanitieskansas.org
Regular Kauffman Museum hours are Tues.-Fri. 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 1:30-4:30 p.m., closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission to the special exhibit, “Unlocking the Past: Immigrant Artifacts and the Stories They Tell,” and permanent exhibits – “Of Land and People,” “Mirror of the Martyrs” and “Mennonite Immigrant Furniture” – is $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-16, and free to Kauffman Museum members and children under 6. The museum store is open during regular museum hours. See kauffmanmuseum.org or the museum Facebook page for more information.