'Our Stories' Exibit Finds New Home At West Ridge Mall, Black American Blueprint Collective Invites The Community To Visit Revamped Display Opening Sept. 5th

The Topeka-based Black American Blueprint Collective is pleased to announce a new home for its “Our Stories: African American Topeka Before and After Brown” exhibit. The Black Collective invites the public to a grand reopening of “Our Stories” on Friday, Sept. 5 from 5-7 p.m. at its new location in West Ridge Mall.

“Our Stories” will remain open Sept. 5, 2025, through July 31, 2026, during regular mall hours. The exhibit occupies a storefront on the mall’s second floor, near the food court. Its grand opening on Sept. 5 will feature food, live music, reenactors and family activities.

“The Black Collective is proud to keep this history alive and available to the public by continuing to share ‘Our Stories’ at a new location,” said Michael Kates, historian and lead exhibit curator for The Collective. “As we continue the exhibit’s Topeka tour, I’m excited to share ‘Our Stories’ has drawn more than 20,000 visitors. We hope to see many more stop by in the months to come.”

“Our Stories” was first created to align with the 70th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education U.S. Supreme Court decision. The exhibit highlights information about African Americans’ early days in Kansas, the vibrancy of Topeka's historic Black neighborhoods, the city's thriving Black business community, and the impact of the 1954 Supreme Court decision.

At West Ridge Mall, “Our Stories” will feature several new additions, including historical reenactors on opening night and opportunities for the community to share their own stories, as part of an oral history project that may include a podcast, additional exhibits and events. The “Our Stories” exhibit was made possible with support from West Ridge Mall, Humanities Kansas, Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area, Washburn University, Visit Topeka and the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library.

The Black American Blueprint Collective is a nonprofit dedicated to honoring and preserving the community's Black history. Its mission is to stimulate pride, self-esteem, dignity, honor and respect within Topeka's Black community by celebrating the city's Black excellence and preserving Black history through community-wide education and activities.