Black American Blueprint Collective Invites The Community To Visit ‘our Stories’ Exhibit At New Noto Location

The Topeka-based Black American Blueprint Collective (“The Black Collective”) invites the public to visit its “Our Stories: African American Topeka Before and After Brown” exhibit at its new home in the NOTO Arts & Entertainment District’s Great Overland Station. The exhibit is expected to remain on display in the historic train depot’s museum through February 2025.

The Black Collective, a nonprofit dedicated to honoring and preserving the community’s Black history, curated the exhibit in collaboration with the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, where it was on display earlier this year. “Our Stories” also spent the summer at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, before celebrating its grand opening at Great Overland Station on Sept. 21.

“Our Stories” features the history of African Americans’ early days in Kansas, the vibrancy of Topeka’s historic Black neighborhoods, the city’s thriving Black business community, and how these institutions impacted the national Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision in 1954.

“The Black Collective is proud to keep this history alive and available to the public at another historic local landmark,” said Sherri Camp, the collective’s project director. “The exhibit was created in alignment with this year’s 70th anniversary of the Brown v. Board decision, and it continues to be a platform to elevate the voices of Topeka’s Black community. As we honor the history and legacy of the local Black community, we hope the exhibit is a source of understanding and a catalyst for dialogue. We welcome everyone to come out and take a look.”

Exhibits at Great Overland Station are open to the public Thursday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $2 for kids ages 3-12, and $1 for veterans with a military ID. The Black Collective and Great Overland Station are excited to offer free admission to visitors on the following dates: Oct. 5, Dec. 7, Feb. 2, Feb. 9, and Feb. 16.

The “Our Stories” exhibit was made possible with support from Visit Topeka, Humanities Kansas, Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area, Equity Bank, Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, and Washburn University.