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A podcast focusing on the perspectives, lives, and stories of Kansans to provide greater insight into the state we all call home.
Ep61
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Retro Future Home
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[00:00:00]
Sydney Collins: I love retro everything, so 1940s, 1950s, 1960s-ish, my jam. Did you know that there i- ... Actually, I'm gonna play, I wanna play this TikTok 'cause it's a little long, but it's pretty cool just information. It kinda ties into- Mm ... the museum life that we're gonna get into today. All right. Okay.
Gus Applequist: Of the future.
When it was built, more than 60,000 people toured this home, which was almost the entire population of Johnson County, Kansas at the time. The house was originally built in Prairie Village by Kansas City Power and Light as a fully electric model home designed to showcase what the future of suburban living could look like.
The 1,500 square foot home had automatic curtains, a hidden television above the fireplace, built-in outdoor speakers, an electric fireplace, moon glow night lights, and even a built-in vacuum system. In 1955, the [00:01:00] house sold for $35,000 and KC Power and Light claimed the all-electric heat pump could heat the entire house for only $145 a year.
This was the epitome of the American dream for white families. At the time, Johnson County was heavily segregated and many Black families were excluded from neighborhoods like this. Multiple families ended up living in this display home, but unfortunately, in 1994, it was slated for demolition, and that's when the Johnson County Museum came to the rescue- Wow
literally picked up
Shane Carter: the house and transported it to the museum, where it's still on display today. That's fun. When you walk into this home,
Sydney Collins: it really does- There is a whole house inside the Johnson County Museum. Wow.
Gus Applequist: Wow. There is- A
Sydney Collins: whole
Gus Applequist: house ... so many layers to that TikTok.
Sydney Collins: There's so much information just in, like, this minute.
I don't know. Yeah. In, like, 15 seconds. But you can actually go inside the house and tour it. Wow. It's the exact same [00:02:00] setup, pink countertops, everything.
Segregation Reality Check
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Gus Applequist: Man, I'm really glad they hit on the segregation piece- Yes ... 'cause yeah, you could- That makes a big difference ... you can kind of feel like, like, "Oh, wow, they really had everything figured out."
No. And then at the same time- Yeah ... literally across town, J.C. Nichols and- Mm-hmm ... other developers like him were doing atrocious things.
Sydney Collins: Yes.
Podcast Intro Shane
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Gus Applequist: Welcome to Ask a Kansan
Sydney Collins: a podcast where we're amplifying, connecting, and uncovering stories across Kansas.
Gus Applequist: Today we have Shane from the Kansas African American Museum here to talk to us about- Mm-hmm ... you know, his story and what they're doing at the museum.
Sydney Collins: and if you think is- this is gonna be just another, "Oh, we're highlighting another nonprofit," no, we do touch on some other... No, I [00:03:00] don't, I don't wanna say touchy subjects, 'cause they're not. Just subjects that- Yeah ... we got to kind of deep into s- the kind of later parts of the episode. So, please stay- It's a longer interview ... it's a longer interview.
Gus Applequist: But, but really a dense one.
Sydney Collins: Yeah. There's a lot of great things. So, so stay for, for the whole, whole interview.
It's, it's amazing. so without any further ado, here is our conversation with Shane Carter.
Gus Applequist: Hello, welcome.
Sydney Collins: Hello. Yeah. I was just fact-checking something. Oh, I think... Never mind, I'll tell you later. Hi. Good. How are you? We're getting, we're getting off topic. How's it going? I'm
Shane Carter: good, good. Thanks for having me. Yeah. Shane Carter.
Sydney Collins: Yeah. Hi, guys. Well, we'll get you set up, and then we'll have you introduce yourself.
Sounds
Shane Carter: great.
Sydney Collins: Perfect All right. Well, again, thank you for joining us. Can you introduce yourself for our audience?
Shane Carter: Yes. Shane Carter, executive director of the Kansas African American Museum.
Sydney Collins: Well, appreciate you being here. Thank you. So it is Ask a Kansan.
Kansas Journey Begins
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Sydney Collins: Tell us your Kansas journey. Were you born here? Yeah.
Have you moved here?
Shane Carter: So I'm actually, I've been in, in Kansas living for [00:04:00] about a year, little over a year. Okay. My ties go back to about 12, 13 years ago. My brother left Ohio to come to Tabor College in Hillsboro. Oh,
Sydney Collins: yeah.
Shane Carter: And so followed him on his journey. Really was instrumental in him making that decision, I believe.
Mm-hmm. It kinda happened where a phone call Coach Mike Aratz called to say, "Hey, Shane, found film of your brother. I'd really like him to come and play at Tabor." And little prayer and, you know, kind of a, "Hey, get out. Let's, let's get out and do something different." And so took that journey. Lance came out on a Greyhound about 13 years ago, and now he has three children under 5 and has roots in the ground.
And with that, we wanted to raise our children together. Yeah. So this opportunity to work in Kansas really worked out.
Sydney Collins: So where are you originally from? I'm sorry if you
Shane Carter: said that. You're fine.
Ohio Roots Leadership
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Shane Carter: So grew up in Troy, Ohio. Okay. North of Dayton. Small town, about 30,000 people.
Mm-hmm. And then went to the University of Wisconsin, studied business there. Played football as well, and then my master's was in educational administration. Mm-hmm. And so after my time in Wisconsin, spent time at, in Troy, Ohio, running a community center Lincoln Community Center. I'm very proud of that.
We built that up [00:05:00] to be a, really, it's a regional hub for the entire Dayton, Troy area. Oh, wow. And so a lot of programming. Worked really hard at a lot of social equity opportunities, and so, job opportunities educational o- opportunities for all ages, GED programming, after-school programming, senior programming and really teaching young people how to be producers.
Mm-hmm. And the entrepreneur spirit that I have, really uh, allowing young people to dabble in growing produce, selling produce swinging a hammer being involved with carpentry. And so I spent 13 years running that organization. We built out what would be about... It's about a $6 million project during COVID, and so that added- Oh, wow
art studios and educational classrooms, walking track, gymnasium. And so that was a, I always tell myself that I earned my gray whiskers during that time. It was a- I
Sydney Collins: can imagine ...
Shane Carter: yeah, a very uncertain time for us as Americans, as you guys know, right? Yeah. And so the short of that would be on March the 18th back in 2020, our board, we called a meeting, [00:06:00] and the meeting was to get ahead of the governor.
Governor Mike DeWine said that he was gonna shut the state down with COVID. Mm-hmm. And so it was one of the best decisions, I think, as a, that I've led a team into because what happened after that subsequently would be that the cost of construction started to go up about 32%. Yeah. And so a project that we got done for under, really a, a little under 6 million would've really turned out to probably be a $9 million project. Yeah. Learned a lot in that opportunity, empowered a lot of people through the community center, and then w- was able to use relationships to connect the dots for post-secondary opportunities for young people, j- long-term job opportunities. And after, you know, after 13 years, I will tell you, I loved the opportunity to do that every day.
Mm-hmm. But it was an 18-hour-a-day deal. It was- Wow you wake up at 6:00 in the morning and it's, you know, well, young people need rides to school. Yep. They need, they need breakfast. They need literacy. They need to study for tests. So you manage that, which was about 120 kids in an after-school program every day.
Mm-hmm. A staff of about [00:07:00] 30, and then a facility that turned out, The Lincoln Community Center was a one-room schoolhouse that was added onto in the '30s.
Sydney Collins: Oh, wow.
Shane Carter: Yeah, and then we added onto it again in 2021. So you take 17,400 square feet of an old building on a boiler system that's- Yep and then you take a new building a- and you put those two together, and 18 hours a day is probably, I'm not doing myself justice.
It was probably a 5:00 AM with the first shift in with snow removal and things, and then we didn't close until 10:00 most evenings, and then fielding emails and texts through that time. And so this transition to Kansas was not only a great opportunity for me for another project, but at TKAAM, we've got four staff members.
We've got a lot of work to do. Don't, don't let me undersell that. Yeah. But it's a different beast.
Gus Applequist: Yeah.
Shane Carter: It's not the mental and behavior health trying to direct young people, dealing with a staff of 30 and then all of the politics that come with being in a, a town for 30-some years and- Mm-hmm and people knowing that you're... I guess I'd call myself a vessel that's willing. And so when you're a [00:08:00] vessel that's willing, that means that you don't miss many calls. Mm. You're able to, to, to, to make that call to make sure a young person is able to get a clarinet or get a tooth pulled or get a bed to get off the floor.
And so all those things fell underneath of what I the calling that I felt was important for me to do for my community.
Gus Applequist: Mm-hmm.
Do Gooder Balance
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Gus Applequist: I feel like that exposes well the, I'm gonna call it the do-gooder's dilemma. And I think sometimes that- that's more about trying to, like, whether or not you should take credit for the things you do in the world.
Yeah. But I think there's also a dilemma in, like, how do you balance taking care of yourself-
Shane Carter: Amen ...
Gus Applequist: versus doing as much good in the world as you wanna do?
Shane Carter: Right.
Gus Applequist: And boy, is it hard to strike that balance sometimes. Mm-hmm.
Shane Carter: I don't know that I've ever mastered that, but I know that the move to Kansas has helped me make the right step in that because my wife, and God bless her for allowing me to do all the things I do I'm getting home for dinner, I'm making my daughter's beginning of the game, not the second quarter.
~Mm-hmm. Um, ~ we're spending that f- quality family time. Mm-hmm. And what's, as you mentioned about the do-gooders, I think what was tough is I'm preaching this to the choir, the people, "Hey, family first. I'll [00:09:00] take the day off." Uh, don't miss your kid's game, right? But then I'm the one that shows up 15 minutes late.
~Yeah, yeah. Or my food, I eat it at 10:00 and everybody else ate at 6:00. Um, ~ I do have a quote that I always use. One of my mentors, Carlos Wood, uh, s- he, he would say this not in vain, but he's a guy that just show, he shows up when literally somebody needs buried, or he shows up when somebody's in need. And he would say, when I was younger, he'd say, "Shane, okay, we're gonna go put this roof on for the weekend," right?
Or, "We're gonna go make sure that, uh, this young, this lady can get to her appointment." And he would just say, "No good deed goes unpunished." Yeah. And I know that's not his quote that's been quoted. But he would say, "You know, we're gonna get punched around on this. It's gonna- Yeah ... we're gonna get home late, and we may get a flat tire, and we may actually go in the negative in our own account to help them get this done. Um, but you're gonna feel that. And know that y- go into it not assuming that. Just know that you're, you're doing the best work you think you should be doing, so.
That's my short journey, I guess you could say.
Skills For TKAAM Role
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Sydney Collins: So y- you've talked about a little bit, but what in those experience helped you prepare for your role now?
Shane Carter: ~That's a great question. Mm. Um, ~ when I interviewed for this job and this opportunity, [00:10:00] uh, the first one was virtual, which I've never... I've, I first off, I, I think besides coaching football, I hadn't interviewed for 10, 12 years. Mm. I was very happy in the role I was in. But w- the first opportunity was virtual, and you have all these people sitting around a boardroom, and I'm trying to sit up straight and, you know-
and try and, and, and speak very proper and do the best I can do at that. And I remember there was a question in the interview that says, "What makes you the best candidate for this job?" You know- Mm ... TKAAM is a small organization. We're growing to a l- not only a larger footprint, but this statewide impact we need to be making, right? Doing the things like we're doing today, this opportunity to expose listeners to what, what we do and what, what my vision is. And my answer to that was my lived experiences and the s- the scars and calluses and the all of the opportunities I've had to lead at a young age, to manage staff, to manage both, I would call it large budgets and small scale budgets, um, to know how to balance partnerships both in kind and meaningful partnerships where both, both entities win and, and get what they want out of [00:11:00] it. I believe that God had me in a early, pushed me into that role early because the center was gonna die if I didn't take on the role. So I was kinda... It wasn't there, there was a lot of pressure involved, but whenever I was, uh, asked to run the community center, the direction the city was going was to fill the pool with concrete and figure out what to do with the building.
And so- yeah, we were in a tough spot. Four staff members, and I remember it like yesterday, we were operating in the red, and we were pretty much, you know, 8,800 bucks to $9,000 in the red when I took over in 2011. And so building up that organization from the ground up of the policies, the employee handbook the expectations, the, the private-public partnership with city and county- Mm um, working in the philanthropic spaces to make sure that corporations feel like they're giving to what their s- socially what they want to, their core values. So I would say that my role at the Lincoln Community Center, my role, I, I also didn't mention, I've coached football for, I coached at the high school level, took a program that was Northwestern High School that [00:12:00] was, had never really won.
We took them to the state playoffs in year two. Nice. That was, I think that really helped me from a, a leadership and development of coaches and young people. Mm. And then I also built up a small construction business that I still own that my mother manages. Mm. And that was a job re-entry situation where I was k- a lot of felonies would come to the cen- a lot of convicted felons would come to the center and say, "I just can't get a job."
Yeah. And this was 2011, '12, '13, a lot different in terms of the job, the flexibility in the market now for felons to be hired. Back at that time, we'd had a sheet that had like 13 businesses we knew that would hire. And a lot of times we'd run them through that and they'd say, "You know, I didn't get an opportunity."
So we built up a small business where we could really allow from skilled people to get some meaningful work All of those buckets, so running the community center, building a construction business, coaching football, serving on nonprofit boards being involved with capital campaigns, both at the, the public sector helping r- raise money in athletic facilities and then also the center, all of those prepared me for my job at TKAAM. And my answer to the, the, the committee when [00:13:00] interviewing was, "I believe that I don't know if I've done any of those well, but I have experience in all of them. And I know that I've failed in, in certain areas of all of them, so those experiences will allow me to guide TKAAM and hopefully give good information to our board and our stakeholders to allow us all to just make s- decisions that provide for sustainability." And so I think that those, those experiences have served me well and will allow me to pour that into our organization here in, in Kansas and grow this throughout the state
Finding Museum Calling
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Gus Applequist: Did I understand right that, that you sort of, wanted to move here to be near your brother- That's right ... and his family? Did you ever think you'd work for a museum, and how did you learn about the opportunity and, and all of that?
Shane Carter: That- that's a, that's, that's... I have to... That- it's a detailed answer, but I will give it to you in two minutes. So this is how that went down. I was here, I was in, um, Kansas in November of 2024. How I kind of got lured out, my brother told me he had a project in Newton, Kansas, he was working on, and he told me he'd pay me in cash pretty well.
Hope the [00:14:00] IRS doesn't catch that one, but he said, "Hey, I'll take care of you." He said, I said, "Sounds great, brother," and this was a, a brotherly deal. And I said, um, "So what, what do you need from me?" You know, he's working, raising his family. We grew up painting. We've both been... I think I started painting when I was 13 years old as a painting contractor working with, uh, a mentor of mine, and then kind of grew a small painting outfit, uh, back home. And it was working in downtown Newton on an older building inside painting, and it was, it was peaceful. I had vacation time in my, my job that I never used. And I will, if anybody's listening, any advice you want, always use your vacation time. It's, it's important. Amen. It's important to reset. So Lance, my brother, he invites me out.
I'm in Newton working, think I've got, like, two weeks worth of work. And so in the first week n- not really, I couldn't really find anything around African American history in Newton. Mm-hmm. A lot of history around that there was African Americans were in that space because of the railroad, and naturally there's, it is a diverse sm- you know, town. Um, but what it drew me to in that area, at least Google did, was to Wichita. Mm-hmm. And the story of Hattie McDaniel and the story of the Dockum Sit-In. Yep. And Chester [00:15:00] I. Lewis and McAfee Poole and Charles McAfee and, I mean, the list goes on and on, right? And so I started looking. I'm like, "Wow, this is a pretty impressive city for..."
You know, it's a, it's kind of a big small city, but the impact and, and the amount of history that's relevant to civil rights, even prior to with the Exodusters and the arrival of the arrival in- of the Exodusters and the, the large, the impact that Nicodemus had on the ability for African Americans to own land and to be in agriculture and to be very much so an important part of the, the fabric of Kansas. So as I started looking at all that, and then more popped up. It's like Lynette Woodard, and then I hear in- I see, start seeing information about the, the Dunbar Theater. Well, then the Kansas African American Museum pops up, and I see on Google, you know, this old church, and then I'm looking as an aerial and I see the jail surrounding it. And as I read on, on the website, its roots go back all the way to, I mean, before like 1911 and- Mm ... the church is, is torn down and rebuilt and reminded me a [00:16:00] lot of the Lincoln Community Center. Lincoln Center started in 1865 as a one-room schoolhouse. Calvary Baptist, you know, roots go back 148 years. Um, so a lot of- A lot of similarities in my role and, and my I would say my love for history and culture. So I take the middle of the week, I'm painting in Newton, take the middle of the week, and I say I'm gonna kinda take a half a day and take my little kinda trip around Wichita. I start down at Chester I. Lewis Park there on Douglas, walk that, understanding Dockum, blown away by the fact that I had taken many high-level African American history classes at, at University of Wisconsin, well, at least 200 to 400 level, um, and particularly African American History 231, we focused on the blues and really the, the, the, the, the what I would call the importance of music and how Kansas City was involved.
And, you know, obviously Wichita came up, but in our class not a lot, and definitely the Dockum sit-in did not come up. And so as I start learning about all this rich history at Chester I. Lewis Park, I, I venture down to TKAAM, [00:17:00] and really just looking at the building, I'm like, "Wow, this is... You can tell this is hand-built.
You can tell that, I mean, those bricks were... These guys laid e- each individual brick, you know, built all their own scaffolding," and really could just get that feeling, um, of rich history, culture, and tradition. And so was able to tour the facility then went over to the Dunbar Theater, then spent some time over at the, uh, McAdams Park and the McAfee pool, and just learning about all these legends that have made, um, Wichita and Kansas and, and the United States just such a, a great place to live And so sure enough about s- I go back to painting and next week I'm back and I take kind of another journey through Wichita, northeast area, um, looking at understanding kind of what 9th Street and Cleveland meant to the community. Um, and then I, I read the, the Sin on Wichita by Dr. Gretchen Ike, who is on our board, and very detailed on what went on during the Civil Rights Movement and the importance DOCM played and what the racial segregation looked like within, uh, Wichita. And now I'm really [00:18:00] interested and as I'm painting, I'm also kinda doing my own little side study of Wichita, and this is all going over two weeks from like Thanksgiving of 2024 into early December. And I see that the, the TKAAM that we've started c- a capital campaign. Mm-hmm. Um, and I, and so now, now, now I'm looking to try to understand, you know, what is the end goal there? What is, what does the future of TKAAM look like? And the director role comes open. Um, Denise Sherman, who was an awesome leader for TKAAM, she steps down and Amy Williams steps as an interim director. And so I, I figured I saw the word interim, I see this, the job opening. I said, "You know what? Maybe this is just a God thing. Let me, let me put my name in the hat and, um, see what happens." And so I finish up that job in Newton, I go ahead and apply. I could tell my brother Lance was excited about like, "Man, you need to apply.
~This is something, you know, you could do well in this." Um, ~ and we, we, I think we mentor each other. I mean, he knows this, but- Mm ... he's younger than me, but I always bounce things off of him and vice versa. I hope that I've, I've, I've been a good mentor and continue to to him and his family. And so he said, "Yeah, I hope, I hope you apply."
And, uh, the time to step down at the center, I just felt that. I felt, [00:19:00] uh, just to be really transparent, I just felt like I had did e- I have completed everything and beyond my goals there. We had built the staff up. I had always talked about succession planning. Um, just to be honest and vulnerable, I went through a tough time.
My two-year-old daughter had brain cancer and she passed away.
And so that was in 2023. And so in that transition, I learned that number one, uh, my fa- the time with my family was so important. I learned number two, that If the Lincoln Center was gonna be around for another 150 years, that it had to be successful without Shane in that role. And it allowed me to really step away and not work in the business, but work on the business, and look at what long-term sustainability looked like, and start training up our staff on some of the important touch points and things. ~And so the... I felt like that was a, a, an important time for me to say, "What's next?"~
~And so how it, how it would all ho- open is like I'm closing a door, another one's opening. ~ I didn't expect to get an interview for the role not because I thought I was qualified, but more of if I was on that committee, I'm sure there's other people that are in the state that have relationships, et cetera. And, um, when I, when I got a, an email from Eddie Watson, our board chair he's like, "Hey, you know, love to interview [00:20:00] you. Here's some opportunities and days." I thought, "Wow, you know, I'm, I'm either gonna say I decline, or I'm gonna go at it like everything else. I do the best I can, 100%." And so, put a presentation together that I, I feel like I've lived to through this day, and that presentation was to come in and listen to the staff, understand the needs of what we, what's important expose people to what TKAAM does, which we're doing today, and lead and work in a servitude way that, uh, I think is contagious on other people. And so I've, uh, now I'm on the... I think I've been in the role, what, a year and three, four days? Started May the 12th.
Gus Applequist: Congratulations. Wow.
Shane Carter: Yeah. So- Anniversary. I, I believe that, uh, that plan allowed for the board to see that I had the experience to run the organization. Then I c- we, we did an in-person interview, and I, I really... What I was drawn to was around the table at TKAAM, that the leadership was diverse, both women and men, white and Black all different shades of skin, and that it came f- it was diverse also in the sectors of business that folks, and their skills and strengths. And so that's that's what landed [00:21:00] me in the role.
And I think, you know, one of the things I will, I will share is that with technology now, it's easy to get access to a lot of different things. But as a visitor, um, and you look at the tourist piece of it, I was actually, you know, I was here working with my brother, uh, having, you know, having a good time with family, enjoying, but utilizing the internet to see what Wichita had to offer is what really led me into that job, into this role
Gus Applequist: But it does seem predestined.
I mean, just- Yeah ... yeah, that, that story's pretty incredible- Mm-hmm ... of how you were already interested in, in history and in Wichita- Right ... and this organization, and then there you are.
Shane Carter: Yes. Yes, sir.
Learning Kansas Wichita
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Sydney Collins: So now that you've been here- Mm-hmm ... um, for over a year now, what are some of the standout things that you've learned?
Shane Carter: The f- that's a g- the first thing I'll say is this: Wichita has, and Kansas in general, Wichita has a lot of amenities and a lot to offer. Mm-hmm. Just bouncing into the city, over the last 10 years, I really didn't understand, uh, a lot of the arts and culture amenities. Also the opportunities for young people as [00:22:00] far as very family-oriented. So I guess my one thing I've learned is that plenty to do, very family-oriented. Um, the Sunflower Summer program that's coming up, that's awesome. Mm-hmm. I'm learning that that's, you know, Kansas should be proud of that. It's like a one of one right now. Um, and other states are looking at us to say, "How d- how is that getting done?" The other piece would be It is, we are kinda out in the middle, like kinda insulated from the coast. So I would say it is centrally located, it is Midwest, but you can get to places very easily. Dallas, Colorado, I mean, there's some driving involved, but Kansas Ci- Kansas City and you can get to the Wichita Airport 50 minutes before your flight and still make the flight. I, I, I have done that 30 times. So I'm very thankful for that. And the people, very similar to Ohio, good, friendly people. I, I've, I've had the, the f- I've been very fortunate. Met a, I've been able to have been introduced and met a lot of really good people here in Kansas. Um, and I love sports, and I feel like that's a thing.
Like, [00:23:00] I feel like- Yep. ... you know, sports is a, you know, the Chiefs and, and obviously you have your, your, your KU fans, and you have your Kansas State, and you even have some Oklahoma fans. And I think it's, it's really neat that, you know, how it come, people come alive for sports. I'm excited to see the World Cup and how that- Mm-hmm how it, it, uh, not only boosts revenue here within the state, but, uh, just it's, it's exciting when you see people... Music and sports and other things have the way of bringing us all together regardless of our backgrounds. So- Mm that's what I've taken from Kansas thus far and, and still, still so much to learn.
I, I'm, while in town here today, I'm gonna stop by the Dunbar School. I was doing some research of Salina. Yeah. Yeah.
Gus Applequist: Yeah.
Shane Carter: Yeah, and so I'm always learning. I've got, you know, I keep six notebooks going, but I've got one that's just kinda my Kansas as I travel to come back to. So when I, you know, this summer we get a day off, I can bring my wife and daughter and kinda look in Salina about, of all the, the, the awesome things you guys have going on.
Sydney Collins: Yeah.
Museum Origins Building
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Gus Applequist: Can
[00:24:00]
Gus Applequist: tell us a little bit about the museum- Yes ... and about its origins perhaps- Mm-hmm ... and then what it is today?
Shane Carter: Yeah. So the museum was founded initially as Calvary Baptist. And so the, the really unique story that I'm learning that I don't think many people are aware of is that the building in its same location was tore down to the ground and then rebuilt in 1916 and finished in 1917. Um, I don't wanna give you all the nuggets 'cause I wanna encourage you to come to our museum. But, um, right when you walk in the front door we have the history of... What it initially was, was was two towers that flanked it, which would be on the north and the south side. And so when it was torn down, those towers were removed. And as history tells me, it was torn down because of fire code. [00:25:00] So the fire marshal, there were some issues with fire code. Mm. So it's torn down, and then it's rebuilt by the congregation and the community on evenings and weekends. Finished in 1917, as it is today. And then operates into the 1970s. And then at that time, Calvary Baptist transitions out to Hillside. One of its members and a mentor of mine and a great friend, Charles McAfee, who's, Charles is 94. Wow. And his daughters are second generation fellow architects. So in other words, they are the, amongst their peers, they have been selected as the highest, you know, ranking that an archit- in an architectural firm that you can receive.
So what's neat about that story is the McAfee family not only is from Wichita, Mr. McAfee, it would be his great-grandfather, Jacob McAfee, and a book to read would be The African Americans of Wichita, which we have that in our gift shop, or you can order it. But bottom line is that the rich story of the McAfees, they were here in the late 1800s and are still here today. And Mr. McAfee, who's a member, grew up as a member of Calvary [00:26:00] Baptist, he returns from, Mr. McAfee returns from University of Nebraska in what would be of August of 1958, because the Dockum Center is just finishing. Mm-hmm. He went to Nebraska and studied architecture. He comes back to Wichita, and how s- how, how history would go, as a lifelong member of Calvary Baptist, he's the architect that designed the current Calvary Baptist building that is out on Hillside. Hmm. So in the 1970s, you have to follow me here, in the 1970s, they they move the congregation from our building we're in today, 601 North Water, out to Hillside. Mr. McAfee designs that building, which is amazing, and then what happens is the county wants to knock down the building. And so Doris Kerr Larkins, who was a member of the Calvary Baptist, she stands in front of the building and says, "You're not gonna knock the building down," her and her sister, and they actually get the, they are able to get the building listed on the National Historical Registered Places.
And that spawns off what be- what will become the museum, but is [00:27:00] the African American Historical Society. And so that starts in the 1970s. Doris Kerr Larkins at the head of that with other members, community members, church members, and they're using the building to, as a repository to really start what becomes the museum, but collecting mainly history of Wichita and Kansas, and with the goal of preserving that location, right? And so it operates from the '70s up until 1998 in that facet, and then the Kansas African American Museum is founded as a nonprofit in 1998. And so, not to be critical of our organization, but we're fairly-- I mean, we're, we're a young adult. We, we've been around for 28 years, you know? I think back to my-- When I was 28 years old I had a lot to learn.
Gus Applequist: Yep.
Shane Carter: Um, And so, and so I, it, it-- I think it's awesome the amount of progress that we've been able to make in those 28 years. But as a humble leader, I will tell you, I, I wanna be really optimistic, but we, uh-- there's a lot of room for growth, right? And so as you develop those policies and procedures [00:28:00] and prove practices, continue to develop the budget to hire staff it, it's amazing that we're, we're, we're where we wanna be and where we're gonna be.
To be able to develop that plan and be involved with people on the front of this is very exciting because I think that we can be really a pillar throughout the state and throughout the region, and I know that we have an obligation to tell these stories in an accurate format, and we-- to, to-- in order to do that, we have to really get into different pockets of the state to get those stories and to be available to accession not only new pieces for our collection but to curate these stories in a way that they can be told for another 100 years. And so that's the history and origin of TKAAM. We are a, a separate-- We have our own board of directors. The building is owned by Sedgwick County. And so I know-- I'll go ahead and answer one question that always comes up, what will happen with the current building? Mm-hmm. And we, we wanna work really hard with the county on creating a plan long term. But our-- We're, we're planning for a grand opening in around June of 2028, so about two years from now. So as we [00:29:00] work at at 201 to finish out construction, and we can talk about that as, as the time allows it's important that we do a, a, a really important jo- a really good job of working with the county to be not only good partners and good stewards but to be transparent, to communicate well, and to bring the public along in any information we may have in relation to that building 'cause it's so important to the community.
Hmm.
Sydney Collins: Mm-hmm.
Hidden Stories Water
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Sydney Collins: have worked there, are there stories that you've uncovered that you wish more people would know about?
Shane Carter: Oh, every day. Yes. Um, And they, they, they, they're vast. They, they, they range from, "Hey, I was baptized in this building," to, "I worked, I worked in the office here.
My mother, you know, was a preacher here." Um, on Sundays, because St. Paul used to be one, one lot to the south of our building, so one of the stories that I always like to hear, and, and Mr. McAfee shared this with me, is that when the both churches were next to each other, they would kinda rotate when they sung in choir.
So Calvary Baptist would [00:30:00] open their windows, and they'd sing at the top of their lungs to make sure you could hear them, right? And then he said, you know, then St. Paul would go in with their choir. So those stories are really, really rich. Understanding Water Street, that used to be kind- Used, not u- used to, it was the, it was the lo- it was the large area where African Americans lived, had businesses, and was, it was considered the Black belt.
And so it was one of the really important areas of Wichita in Kansas. It was where musicians, whenever they would come in town, where they would perform and stay the night in the African American Black hotels. The corner out on Main was the start of where the Hutcherson YMCA is, which was the African American YMCA that then went down to uh, 9th Street, 9th and Cleveland, or it would be, yeah, Cleveland, where it meets 9th.
Mm-hmm. So all these stories, yes, every day I hear something different. What's important is that number one, to be able to listen, but to provide a platform for these individuals to accurately be able to come and tell the stories to the community, but to archive that oral history is really important.
And [00:31:00] I, I kudos, I give credit to our staff before me that have been able to take the time to get audio interviews from DOCUM participants and members of Calvary Baptist. And so we're just continuing to build on the, the shoulders of giants.
Gus Applequist: Not that every African American is a person of faith-
Shane Carter: Mm-hmm ...
Gus Applequist: but, but it's so fitting that the museum is, is, has its roots in this church. I know many...
I'm thinking of Pastor Allen here in Salina who- Yeah ... who runs a Missionary Baptist church here in Salina just how integral that, that congregation is to the African American community here locally. Mm-hmm.
Churches Community Pillars
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Gus Applequist: Can you just speak to and you've kinda talked about the history element of it, but what is, what is it like today within the African American community, and, and what role do these churches play?
Shane Carter: Yeah, that's, that's a, that's a interesting question because it, I see the similarities in Ohio, and I'll go back. I, I'll tell you what I know about my community then what I've seen in Wichita. So in our community of Troy, Ohio, the St. James AME Church started [00:32:00] around, got its roots around, like, 1868, 1867. I'll have to go back and check that, but around 1867, 1868. At that time in Ohio, even with the Underground Railroad, it was the only place where they could come together in faith but close the door and teach to read, write. Mm-hmm. How do you, how do you... Masonry skills, right? Life skills, people skills, soft skills.
And so the church naturally, and continues to be, at least within my my observation, it becomes the hub of all things because it's a place where you can connect and, and, and get the information you may need. W- we we all know that America has progressed in terms of segregation, in terms of integration um, to be able to provide Equal opportunities, so we hope, to all people regardless of skin color, socioeconomic status. However, you can't tell the history of Kansas or any state, the African American history, without [00:33:00] focusing on the churches, because the churches were the cornerstone and the pillar where you would go for safety, for refuge, for food, for opportunities, employment. A- a- and that, that still, I believe, hold, it holds true. And I believe what I would suggest is now more than ever, we have to get back to those roots, because I believe that the role that the church needs to play in our communities not only makes our community stronger, it's the way to build strong children. And so I believe that regardless of faith, creed, religion, ethnicity the church has an important pla- place in our communities.
The African American church is so critical because you cannot tell the st- the history of Kansas without the churches. And I'll tell you, well, I'll tell you what my mentor, Eddie Watson, our board chair, has told me. His family's been here for 150 years, Ark City within the region of Wichita as well. And he says, "Shane, you know, to tell the African American history in Kansas, you have to f- it's the churches, the railroads, and the packing houses."
Gus Applequist: Hmm.
Shane Carter: Yeah. And he really believes that to be [00:34:00] true when you talk about upward mobility, opportunities, how people got around, transportation m- means to m- ma- like a means to an end piece, right? And so, I think it's very important. I believe that that history is really relevant for our young people 'cause it, it's able...
They can identify who they are and whose they are, and then that gives self-esteem and confidence, and that gives you the ability to go want to achieve. And I think a lot of times so many times we as adults, we don't even know where we come from. Mm. We haven't taken the time. I know that my mother's side of the family is from Germany.
My father's side of the family came over from Africa and then was in the Macon County, Georgia area as slaves. I, w- I wanna understand that history more, but when I realized who I was, meaning, okay, well, my mother came from Appalachia, America. I mean, tough. I mean, coal mining, little to no opportunity no high school education for ha- probably two generations.
For about, for half of a century, going to high school for my mother's family wasn't an opportunity. You, you went to the coal mine or the mother stayed home. On my dad's [00:35:00] side, he was only a generation and a half out of slavery, so whatever work there was in the South, they did it, they, they performed it, and then fled to the North for opportunity at some point, right?
And so that gives me great pride. I feel, I feel I'm very I'm proud of who I am. I, I feel like I can go achieve. I feel like the people before me have broke down barriers. And I think that when you talk about the churches, it gives the ability for young people, and for all people, to go back to their roots and feel a lot of self-worth and value in who they are, and be proud of who they are.
And that, when you un- when you raise self-esteem and confidence naturally that's half the battle, walking into a room and feeling good about yourself.
Museum Literacy Program
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Sydney Collins: is there any programming that you're specifically proud of or wanna mention that the museum does?
Shane Carter: Yes. We're very... So this is the first year that we ha- we have rolled out a museum literacy program. I think it's an awesome, cool program because young people get to handle and feel artifacts. Mm-hmm. Put on the white gloves.
Sydney Collins: Oh, that's
Shane Carter: cool. Um, It is. Makes
Sydney Collins: you feel real important.
Shane Carter: It does. Right, right. A- and then, and then are able to sit down and, and work as [00:36:00] a team and articulate about the artifact, about the exhibit create labels, and then do some public speaking at the end.
Stand up and talk about, you know, what they've learned.
Museum Programs Overview
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Shane Carter: So that's a, that's a, a really neat program we're proud of. It also allows for a scavenger hunt throughout both the upstairs and the main gallery. That program has went really well. I would say it's in its pilot stages, but it's been well received by our educational both...
Well, it's, it's educational folks on field trips. It's also kinda some of your daycare, childcare facilities. Mm-hmm. And then we work with Arts Partners who works with other schools throughout the state So that program's went really well. The other one I would say is just our general education program, and that's more of history of the church and the museum, a small seven-minute video, a scavenger hunt as well, then coming back together as teams and doing kind of a little competition on answers of what you've learned. And then the last piece is a cultural presentation, which I provide. That's to schools, that could be to corporations, to youth groups, church groups, et cetera. All three of those programs, and we've tried to [00:37:00] market it that we feel like one of those will resonate with, with, with a group. In other words, if the museum literacy piece, you know, you get to about 11 years old, that's no longer cool.
No problem with general education. If you're, you know, high school age group that scavenger hunt and general education isn't cool, okay, well let's, let's go back to the history of Kansas, culture presentation, question and answers. And so we feel like all three of those programs we're very proud of.
Trailblazers Hall of Fame
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Shane Carter: And then I would suggest that our, our main attraction every year is our Trailblazers Hall of Fame, and that's the third week in November. I would encourage for you guys and our listeners to go onto our website or onto YouTube and just type in TKAAM Trailblazers Hall of Fame. It's about a 57-minute runtime. And we honor Kansans, African Americans from Kansas or with ties to Kansas that have achieved at all different heights in politics, sports, art uh, art, culture you name it.
And so people that you guys would know from Barry Sanders, Lynette Woodard to Gordon Parks, to Langston Hughes the [00:38:00] list is pretty phenomenal. And so I would say that if you haven't viewed our Trailblazers Hall of Fame, and it's, it's a really good educational piece for all ages. You can sit down and watch it with your children. It's a piece you could put on with you know, if you have family in town for the holidays, and we're proud of that. That, that'll air this year, that is November the 21st, and it'll air at 6:00 or 7:00 PM our time on what will be, so Wichita local channel and then it'll... It's also in Topeka and then KC.
And so as I get the details on that, I'll share more, but we're very excited about that program. We have a watch party every year that's at Exploration Place.
Sydney Collins: Okay. That's what I thought. I'm like, "I've heard of this before." Yeah. And it's a big... They put it on- On the f- ... the outside of the building, don't they?
Oh,
STEM Spotlight at Exploration Place
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Shane Carter: that, and that's another piece. We do that for- Or is that a- That's, that's African Americans in STEM for Black History Month.
Sydney Collins: Okay. That's what I thought. Yes. I was
Shane Carter: like, "I
Sydney Collins: know there's something-"
Shane Carter: Yeah, yeah ... "with
Sydney Collins: Exploration." Sorry. Go ahead.
Shane Carter: Yeah, no, you're fine. You're good. So that's, and that's a, we love that program too.
Mm-hmm. That's every February where we, we're able to honor African Americans in STEM, and you're right, we do, uh, that cast on the side of the building at Exploration Place in the evenings, and that's, that's a great program. You're, you're a good [00:39:00] marketing person for us as well, Katie.
Sydney Collins: Yeah. I do. I'm, I have a love for Exploration Place- Uh-huh
just 'cause I remember when it was being built when I was little- Yeah. Uh-huh ... and my grandparents took me there. Yes.
Shane Carter: So- Yeah, I love that ...
Sydney Collins: me and Exploration Place are two peas in a pod.
Shane Carter: Yeah. It's, it's, it's my, my daughter's nine years old, and it's our best, uh- You talk about a day of just wearing her out.
~Yeah. Especially now with the, the, the improvements with EP2. Mm-hmm. Um, ~ so yeah, ver- very much so.
Taking Education Beyond Walls
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Shane Carter: I would say that our, our educational programs are what we're most proud of, and, and what I'm making a push for, and especially for people here in Salina and throughout the state, is I really like getting outside of our walls. Yeah. And so c- being able to come to the classroom- Mm ... that removes the transportation, hopefully from a financial standpoint makes it more affordable. And then we're working on a grant, um, working hard with Kansas Health Foundation and some other corporations to put a grant to where we would allow to supplement both the facilitation, if you will, and/or if people were coming for admission, looking at Title I schools. And really what I would like to do is make it to where i- less invasive as possible, right? I've learned throughout government funding opportunities, i- if I'm [00:40:00] poor, why do I... I don't wanna tell you I'm poor. I mean, that, that, that just makes it- Yeah ... so difficult. Mm-hmm. And so I would rather qualify that by understanding that free or reduced lunch, we would have that data from a public standpoint working with whomever that is in, you know, the, the office of the school or education or that district, so that way we can just have it qualified.
It's easy. You call. Mm. "Hey, we wanna do a field trip." "Sounds great. Oh, you guys are a Title I school? No problem, man. We got it covered. Come on down." So it's gonna take me some time, but we're, my goal is for this school year we have that offering for not o- throughout the, the entire state so we can work with...
We need to get into rural communities. We need to be able to get in western Kansas. We need to be able to get, you know, there's a far... There, there's plenty of places we need to be at, but we have to use technology, and we need to make sure that we can do it in a, a standpoint of sustaining our own budget, and so it's gonna take some partnerships and some underwriting.
Sydney Collins: That's such a big thing that you're tackling 'cause when you think about it, everyone in Kansas within two hours of Hutchinson has been to the Cosmosphere. That's just a normal [00:41:00] i- an elementary school thing you go to.
So having that being a part of your normal education throughout Kansas is huge 'cause it's gonna be another thing where throughout the generations is as you build this program, people are like, "Oh yeah, I went there in elementary school"- Mm-hmm
or, "Oh yeah, I remember doing this as a cla- they, they came to my class and spoke." So it's a-
That's a really big bite that you're that you're-
Shane Carter: it it, it is, it is, and I, I'll tell you, it's, and I, I, I'm, I'm hopeful that the Lord can keep me healthy and sane and all those good things. I, I need big challenges like that.
Mm-hmm. I'm wired like that. I, I need those challenges. I know that it'll take a team. I'm not trying to do this myself. Growing our team and having ambassadors and having people that, you know, you run into somebody at church or at coffee and you're like, "Hey, we had our director of TK Man, you need to go in there and check that place out."
That type of, that word of mouth is very powerful.
Building the New Culture Center
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Shane Carter: I'll share with you that as we develop out our, our museum and culture center at 201 North Main The modern technology, immersive interactive opportunities that we can provide through our [00:42:00] DOCUM exhibit and through our exhibits to telling the history of Kansas, I believe make it more enticing for one to be able to wanna attend. Right now, you know, accessibility, visibility, location, handicap accessibility lighting, all those things that happen with a 100-year-old building make it tough. Don't, don't make it as inviting as we want it to be. And so the, the really important piece that I would share is that as we develop bricks and mortar, I'm a, I'm a really strong believer in this, that bricks and mortar don't d- don't define you in terms of your organization and the impact and your mission.
So what I would share is we're not waiting for those bricks and mortar to do these things. We're developing and deploying these programs now, so that way whenever we- the building is completed, we, we've went through some of those growing pains. We've went through some of the trial and errors. We've figured out that, hey, no, we can't... Maybe we can't get to Western Kansas but three times a year, but we know we can do it in that, so when we're out in that space, that we're able to be efficient and connect the dots with the people we need to. And so, a year into it, I'll tell you I'm not [00:43:00] tired yet, and I will also share with you that I have a, we have some really good people that are at tables and in discussions that I can't be at that believe that our mission is important.
And so that, that is very it's invigorating and exciting for me because, you know, as somebody that's not from the community, it's great to see someone else that believes in your mission as much. Mm-hmm. You know?
Telling History Without Shame
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Gus Applequist: Unfortunately, so much of the sort of interracial relations of our country have been politicized and have become controversial. I think obviously of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter and you know, the tremendous learning that came from that era in our recent past and, and also, you know, the, the difficulty that, that you know, the nation faced and, and African American people faced.
Shane Carter: Mm.
Gus Applequist: You know, so as, as you are telling the stories of African Americans in Kansas you know, how, how do people that don't come from that community, how do you help them find [00:44:00] the stories you're telling? And how do you... You know, I frankly think a lot of the controversy in our world about African Americans and, and their place in our past is, is shame and fear about everything that was done- Mm-hmm
to, to you all.
Shane Carter: Mm-hmm.
Gus Applequist: And, and how do you, how do you invite them in despite that, those feelings that many people may have or may not be willing to admit that they have?
Shane Carter: Yes, and no need to cut the question 'cause it's a great question. It's a question I feel very comfortable answering. The first thing I will share with you is I learned in my last 15 years of what I'll call community engagement, and I'd say community Safe spaces that you're inviting people in for a, a lecture, an informative discussion a talk-back, a podcast whatever it may be, that the first thing that we have to find a way to do, and this is through the facilitation and through the outlining of whomever [00:45:00] is, is curating the, the event or the experience, is that we, we can't-- we have to find ways to not point finger and blame shame. And I think the important thing that, the important thing I've learned that I hope TKAAM can provide a platform for is creating a non-political safe space for people to tell accurate history and to not point fingers, to not go back and say, "Your ancestors enslaved me." One of the things I've learned, and this has gone wrong for me, so this is how I, I've, I've learned from it. I always think, I always say a loss or a loss is not a loss, it's a lesson, or, you know, when something happens or a, a, a particular obstacle, it's setting you up for the next way to handle it differently. I'll share an experience with you. I, we-- Black History Month was really important for me in my previous role, too.
We kinda own that space within our community. I was able to-- I found an event I call Soul Food and Jazz event. It was every February. I look forward to kinda rolling that out even here at TKAAM eventually as we get our, get our feet underneath of us. we'd always have speakers come beginning of the month, [00:46:00] kinda end of the first week, probably about four speaking engagements, and a lot of times it'd be lectures or discussions on history. Well, I hired an individual, I think, in my second year, and the tone and tenor and the message, w- whenever we-- everybody got up, I could feel it as he was leading up to the... We all left feeling worse than when we came in.
Gus Applequist: Mm.
Shane Carter: I felt like my white constituents that were with me felt like, "Dang, this is-- They're, they're pointing blame on me, and I'm just here to learn your history And I felt like any conscious and aware African American or Black in the room, that we felt like, "Okay, yeah, you're telling the history, but we're trying to move forward," right?
In other words, we wanna hear this history. We know that things are in a tough spot. W- th- George Floyd and those issues were real. We do know that and we wanna talk about them in a safe way. But now, if I haven't controlled what the narrative and messaging was or outlined with my s- facilitator what I'm expecting from my listeners and constituents to get, now people leave there saying, "Oh, man, I don't feel real good about this.
It wasn't uplifting," right? So the first, to answer your question, the first thing I would say is [00:47:00] that at TKAAM, making sure that we create an environment where when people come in to receive this history, there's not, they don't feel blamed or shamed. They feel like they can get this history, and it's meaningful and that we can...
There's some unity being built there, and there's some foundation or bridge-building going on. So I think it's my job that we have control of the narrative of what the stories are we're trying to tell, and that the people that are collaborating with us on these lectures, on these facilitations, Senior Win Days et cetera, Senior Wednesdays et cetera, that they know that we do wanna tell the accurate history.
But we, we have people that are Black, white, Latino. We have people that are coming to learn for the first time. We have people that wanna know what the history was but don't want to feel shamed. They wanna feel comfortable. And I'll, I'll, I'll share with you that and you guys have probably been there before, it's difficult enough if I'm the only Black in a room or Black male, right?
Not difficult because I'm not comfortable in my own skin, but because people don't look like me, talk like me, look, you know. Well, the, the comfortability TKAAM needs to create is that regardless of who you are, if you're the only white person in the room, [00:48:00] maybe you drove all the way out from western Kansas, or you came out from a rural community to hear this conversation, l-let's give them the information and make them feel good when they leave. And so what I believe, to answer your question, is that the, the polarized s-things, the politics, the messaging, the media, TKAAM, we wanna tell the story accurately, we wanna be on the right side of history, and we wanna not create division. And so that's very difficult to do, as you know. And as a nonprofit, we wanna stay, wanna stay right in the middle.
We don't want to lean any way politically, but we have to tell the information that's correct, and sometimes that comes with disengagement. In other words, there are certain businesses right now that based on whatever their ties are to government or to government contracting or to politics, that if we tell accurate history about what was going, happening in Kansas because that's our focus, right? That may be offensive to some people, where they want you to tell a different piece of history, right? And I'll share with you as tough it is, [00:49:00] tough as it is, the Tulsa Massacre is real. That happened. Yeah. You know, like that didn't, you can't skip that part of history. People's lives were ruined.
People's businesses were taken. People flee'd to Wichita because th- they weren't in, they wouldn't insure them. There was looting that happened. There were businesses that couldn't be rebuilt. There were... I mean, if you look at it, the destruction that happened to those brick buildings cannot happen from fists.
It can't happen from trucks. There were things over our heads that came down and, and destroyed those buildings. And so I have to, I have an obligation to be honest, just from an integrity standpoint as, as a Christian and as a man who believes in telling the truth, but I also have an obligation at the Kansas African American Museum to go back and uncover these stories that haven't been told, and tell them in a way that is accurate and that's defining and that educates, but that doesn't shame b- that doesn't point or shame blame on either of you two or my other listeners.
And so, I, I think that we at TKAAM can do that well. It does take a lot of due diligence. It takes a, an understanding of the people that are [00:50:00] partnering with you, and it also takes me reviewing the script of what we're doing and what the goal of that program is, and making sure we're getting out of it the outputs and the objectives that we've discussed
Gus Applequist: Excited to, to come and visit the museum- Yeah ... someday soon. Same. And
Shane Carter: yeah. And I would also share with you guys, and you've probably been down, but a great, great, great learning experience for all of us is Greenwood Rising down in Tulsa. I think Dr. Doswell has continues to lead a great organization, and we partner with them. And I look at them as one of our, our, our peers and our partners and, and industry standard. You know, we wanna, we wanna raise the bar 'cause what they've created down there is just an awesome experience.
Gus Applequist: thanks for taking time- Yeah. Yes ... to come up and, and speak about the African American Museum. And yeah, and we're just, we're thrilled you're in Wichita doing this work.
Shane Carter: Yes. It's important work, and I'm glad to do it.
Support the Capital Campaign
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Shane Carter: And I, I will share with our listeners and with your team one of the important p- pieces I would ask.
Obviously, our general fund, we ask folks to support that. Right now is an important part, time, not only from operating standpoint, but there's an opportunity for folks to get involved with the capital campaign. We still do need to [00:51:00] raise north of $3 million, and so that's, that's our goal, and we wanna be open by June the 28th.
And so there's an opportunity not only for naming rights in terms of donor recognition through tho- through the campaign, but also small gifts matter. And your gift of $50 goes more than what you know, does more than what you would ever know. And if there's larger opportunities through folks that wanna give, please contact me.
You can find us. Our website is tkam.org. And so, um, please, please follow us online, social media. Be able to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and all those things, and, and follow the important work that we're doing.
Juneteenth Events and Meaning
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Sydney Collins: a big thing that I have learned in the past six years, so my husband is from Texas. We are a mixed family. We try to find all of the amazing Juneteenth celebrations that are in Kansas. There's not very many of them. It's still a process. Do you have any programming around that this year?
Shane Carter: Yes. We're very excited. First and foremost, I'll tell you last year was our first year to offer free admission. So I would tell everybody listening throughout the state, come to TKAAM Friday, June the 19th. We'd love to have you. [00:52:00] I'll be, I'll be in the building and excited and fired up to have everybody. So that's, that's important for us. We do have a community mural that's in partnership with Evergy, and that will be on-site on our front steps, so everybody gets to take piece, part in that. Oh, cool. So any age, whether if it's, you know, you come out with your children and wanna hang out. And that will then...
We will wrap that up around 4:30, and we will take out to, to McAdams Park. And so the Juneteenth ICT group, which is ran through the core, they have their programming there in McAdams Park on Friday evening. Mm-hmm. Starts at 6:00, I think, and Friday goes till 8:00 or 9:00. And then Saturday is the parade, and then following the parade around noon it'll reactivate at McAdams Park, and we'll have our community mural out again. And that'll be an opportunity to connect with the, obviously the, the larger group of folks. Still having admission at the, at the museum. It's free on Saturday because Fa- we're celebrating Father's Day and wanted to make sure that our fathers have an opportunity. So there's two days there to come and see the museum for free. And then what's important to us, and we're, you'll see this on our social media, Juneteenth not onl- it's an opportunity for TKAAM to really be able to [00:53:00] reflect on the importance of, you know, not only emancipation but, you know, nowadays communication happens so quickly. And I think we look back and think, you know... Think about, you know, the, the war ending, the sign of the emancipation, and the freeing of slaves, right? Mm-hmm. There weren't text messages.
Sydney Collins: Nope.
Shane Carter: There weren't, there wasn't, "Hey, Johnny, you know, did you hear about the war?" And so you have to think like an open market capitalist to think about how slowly that they actually freed slaves- and actually followed the rules. There wasn't a attorney general riding around each state and saying, "Hey, are your slaves freed yet?" It didn't happen like that. So the importance of Juneteenth to me is, is that we celebrate the history and heritage of our, all of our found- our, our forefathers and all of our patriarchs and matriarchs, but that we tell, once again, the accurate history, similar to Tulsa, to our young people, that they understand that, you know, this is a national holiday now, but it took long [00:54:00] enough for the slaves to actually get word in Galveston, Texas.
Mm-hmm. Then it took long enough for us as Americans to accept the fact that these slaves were still enslaved, and then once we realized that, it took us so long as a country, in my opinion, to celebrate and honor that day. And so to me, it becomes a really, really important holiday because just like other holidays we celebrate, there's a meaningful past to look at, and it was a meaningful milestone that w- in terms of the, the, the final, if you will, emancipation. And so we're excited about our programming. We're excited about we have a nice piece of video we're putting together that speaks to the history of Juneteenth. It'll be a great opportunity for folks that can't come visit us to just go on our website or onto our social media. I'm thankful for our staff, Kay Officer, Brittany Beck, Chauncy Wilson, that they've been working these last six weeks at putting together a really nice piece.
I've seen the front end of it. It's gonna be, it's gonna be good. It's gonna be informative, not too long, and it's gonna be TKAAM branded in a way that makes us proud of what we do and our mission. And so please, if you can come to Wichita on that weekend, free [00:55:00] admission come down to McAdams Park, participate on Saturday and Sunday. We will have our, like I said, our community mural activated 10 o'clock until about 4:00 on Friday, June the 19th. Then we'll be out in McAdams Park on Saturday the 20th from around noon until about 6:00. Brilliant. And so that's what we got going on, and we'll continue to, to carry that on. I think having free admission on Juneteenth is important because if a grandmother, mother, father, uncle, et cetera, is like, "Hey, you know, I wanna be able to, to I wanna be able to tell you a little bit about African American history," you know, removing that financial barrier m- now may allow that, "Hey, we're gonna go grab lunch after the museum," or, "We're gonna go to Exploration Place," or, "We're gonna do something as a family."
And so we wanna do that, and that's right in our wheelhouse of what we believe in. Right.
[00:56:00]
Sydney Collins: Well, thank you for joining us for that conversation with Shane.
Gus Applequist: Yeah, Shane, uh, I was, I was thrilled that he brought a lot of his personal background- Yeah ... to that interview. That, that made it rich, I think. Mm-hmm. And and yeah, it sounds like there is a lot going on in the near future- So much
of the museum. So exciting to see how this all plays out.
Sydney Collins: Yeah. We'll have to take the kiddos to see the muse- the current museum, and then we'll be able to see the new museum when it gets, get built.
Gus Applequist: And hopefully it's already obvious, but everyone is welcome at these events.
Sydney Collins: Yes.
Gus Applequist: Uh, and it's not just something for the African American community.
Mm-hmm. There's, there's a reason they wanna share this history with us. Right.
Sydney Collins: Very much so.
Moms Knick Knacks Game
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Sydney Collins: Okay, are you ready for today's segment?
Gus Applequist: I'm ready.
Sydney Collins: So we did the your mother's knick-knacks. Yes. Now it's time for my mother knick-knacks. 'Cause I was looking at my office and I was like, "Actually, a lot of that stuff came from my mother."
[00:57:00] So- same concept. I'm gonna put two objects on the table. Y- one of them came from my mother and one of them I got. Okay. And so you can judge from there. Okay, first ones.
Gus Applequist: Things my mother gave me. Maybe that's- All
Sydney Collins: right. I have a ask me about my cat sign.
I'll face it this way.
It used to sit on, sit on my desk. Or I have these tiny little cute antique gloves.
Gus Applequist: The fact that both of these are in your office.
Sydney Collins: Both of these are in my office.
My shelves, if you have ever looked at my shelves, they are like-
Gus Applequist: There's a- I
Sydney Collins: have the Star Wars shelf.
Oh, yeah. I have the antique shelf. I have the- You
Gus Applequist: have a lot of capacity
Sydney Collins: in that office ... I have a lot of love shelving.
Gus Applequist: Okay. I'm going to say the cat sign is from your mom.
Sydney Collins: It is not. The... So she got these gloves at an... My mom loves estate shales. Shales. Sales. And so she got these. She goes, "Oh, I found these for Madline."
I'm like, "Madeline's hands, I don't even think as a newborn would fit in these." These are [00:58:00] tiny. But anyway, so yeah.
Gus Applequist: Yeah. Okay.
Sydney Collins: Okay. I like it.
Gus Applequist: There's those. I like it. Where... So did you buy yourself the ask me about the cat?
Sydney Collins: I think so. Yeah. I honestly don't remember where the ask me, ask me about my
Gus Applequist: cat came from.
So, so Sydney, w- what about your cat?
Sydney Collins: This is when I was very heavily in my cat mom era- Oh, okay ... um, before I had kids and was married. Okay. And Simba and Nala were my life, and my children. They still are- Mm-hmm ... but they take a little bit of the backseat. We still cuddle and still get scratches. But yeah.
~Anyway. ~
Gus Applequist: ~Thanks. ~Thanks for answering that.
Sydney Collins: You're welcome.
Shane Carter: All right.
Sydney Collins: Okay. I have a mom and hard giant cup.
Gus Applequist: It's huge.
Sydney Collins: It's gi-normal.
Gus Applequist: I think we could literally fit one of our other cups-
Sydney Collins: Probably. It fits in there ...
Gus Applequist: on this. Yeah, almost.
Sydney Collins: Or I have a University of Dad Economics.
Do you think money grows on trees?
Gus Applequist: Oh, wow.
Sydney Collins: Which one came from my mom?
Gus Applequist: So it's [00:59:00] a dad object or a mom object. Yeah. I guess I'll go with the mom object.
Sydney Collins: Nope. Ah. So this my friend Katie gave me. It had a bunch of... When I was pregnant with Madeline, she put a bunch of fun stuff in there. That's nice. And then the dad economics was somewhere in our h- in, in my mom's house.
It was my dad's, and so when he passed away-
Gus Applequist: Hmm
Sydney Collins: I was supposed to give it to my husband, but it ended up in my office. So.
Gus Applequist: Oh, man.
Sydney Collins: Okay, so far you're not doing so great.
Gus Applequist: No, I fully admit it.
Sydney Collins: All right. Maybe this next one will be easier. Okay, we've got-
Gus Applequist: A full
Sydney Collins: on- a bust of Shakespeare.
Gus Applequist: If, if you're listening to this episode, yeah, there is a full on bust of Shakespeare.
It's a full bust of... It's
Sydney Collins: like at least a foot tall,
Gus Applequist: maybe- It's not quite life-sized, but pretty close
Sydney Collins: Or I have this hand with lots of rings on him.
Gus Applequist: Oh, man. Okay. Well, I know your mom is, is a, you know, fashionista. Mm-hmm. I'm gonna go with the, the hand with rings.
Sydney Collins: No.
Gus Applequist: What on [01:00:00] earth? I should have just rolled a die and be better
Sydney Collins: at this.
You should have. Just know it's always gonna be the opposite.
Gus Applequist: Why did she give you William Shakespeare?
Sydney Collins: So this was also in her house.
Gus Applequist: Okay.
Sydney Collins: And when she was redecorating 'cause it was actually, like, my grandmother's on my dad's side. Oh. So when she was redecorating, she was getting rid of all, like, the antique vin- vintage stuff.
And I was like, "I'm taking Shakespeare," because here's the thing, Shakespeare is in almost every family photo that we have because he sat on the hutch in all of the, like, prom photos and Sadie Hawkins photos. There's Shakespeare in the background. So I was not letting him die.
Gus Applequist: Am I gonna see this in the background of, like, your Zoom meetings now?
Prob- Oh.
Sydney Collins: I need to arrange my desk so that happens now. And Facebook would try to tag him every time you upload stuff on Facebook. Okay, I think I only have two, I have two more.
Gus Applequist: Okay. I'm definitely failing.
Sydney Collins: If you've noticed, I've tried to theme [01:01:00] things.
Gus Applequist: Yeah, you did- So
Sydney Collins: I've got- ...
Gus Applequist: better than I did
Sydney Collins: the Scream C-3PO.
Gus Applequist: The, yeah.
Sydney Collins: Or I have this
Gus Applequist: little- The, the classical artwork- ... the classic- ... the Scream, but the Scream has been replaced with C-3PO- Yes ... from Star Wars.
Sydney Collins: And with Darth in the, in the background.
Gus Applequist: Mm-hmm.
Sydney Collins: So we've got that, or we've got my little uh, s- I don't remember the name of this one. Also Star Wars figure.
Gus Applequist: Okay, I'm feeling very confident again. I think it's the-
Sydney Collins: Yes. You're correct.
Gus Applequist: Okay, I finally got one.
Sydney Collins: You got one. Yeah. My- It's the
Gus Applequist: picture.
Sydney Collins: Yeah. So my grand- or my grandma. Oh, sorry, Mom. My mom was in Hawaii and saw this- Hmm ... and bought it for me, and then I went and got it framed. So it's from Gary Palm Watercolors-
Gus Applequist: Oh
Sydney Collins: in Hawaii, and there's, there's actually a little picture of Gary painting.
Gus Applequist: Oh, nice.
Sydney Collins: Yeah.
Gus Applequist: And your mom, like, brought this back in her luggage?
Sydney Collins: Yeah. Yeah? Brought it back. Just the print. I framed it. Oh, okay. So.
Gus Applequist: Nice.
Sydney Collins: Yeah, I went and got it framed. Very cool. But there you go. All this stuff scattered on the, on
Gus Applequist: the studio floor [01:02:00] now This is a, the box is a good callback to our Cosmosphere episode- Yeah ... with, with Claire Lewis I refuse to
Sydney Collins: get rid of the box.
Gus Applequist: So, yeah. The box is a Cosmosphere box. This is, this is a great box.
Wrap Up and Announcements
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Gus Applequist: Well, that, that brings us to the end of another episode of Ask a Kansan.
Sydney Collins: Please make sure to like and subscribe, leave us a review from wherever you are listening from.
Gus Applequist: Yeah. And if you have not checked out the Curious Kansan newsletter, that's available on our website. You know, the best thing you can do to help spread the word about the podcast is share it with one friend, or leave us a five-star review anywhere you listen to or watch the podcast.
Sydney Collins: Make sure to visit AskaKansan.com, sign up for the Curious Kansan newsletter, and visit our Ask a Kansan store.
Gus Applequist: And uh, if you find yourself in the Salina area around early July, we will be, Oh, yeah ... screening our film about the Smoky Hill River Festival that that'll be at the Art Center Cinema here in Salina, the 10th through the 15th of July.
Sydney Collins: Yep. So look for Four Days in June screening at the Art Center Cinema.
Gus Applequist: Yeah. There's a lot going on. Hope you [01:03:00] enjoyed this episode, and have a great day.