MANHATTAN (KSNT) – The non-profit organization, The Black Entrepreneurs of Flint Hills, and community leaders broke ground on a new cultural center on Tuesday meant to preserve the historic legacy of Manhattan’s black community.
The Yuma Street Cultural Center (YSCC), which broke ground on March 10, will be located at the Shepard Chapel at 930 Yuma Street, in the Yuma Street Historic District. The new cultural center will include spaces like a business-working space, chef-driven restaurants and a resource space for Fort Riley families and Kansas State University students, according to the organization.
YSCC will incorporate new exhibits and programs to honor influential figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Robinson and Dave Baker. Coaching services and digital literacy workshops will also be incorporated as a way to provide resources for local community members.
The campaign to build the center raised $850,000 of its nearly $2.5 million goal.
The chapel, which will be the new home for YSCC, was recognized by the National Register of Historic Places in January 2023. Shepard Chapel used to be Kaw Blue Lodge #107, a predominantly African-American Masonic Lodge before being sold to a private individual.
Yuma Street itself was recognized by the Kansas Historical Society and placed into the National Register of Historic Kansas Places in 2022. For more information on the YSCC and how to donate to the project, click here.
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