A vibrant celebration of memory and community is arriving Labor Day weekend with the first-ever Yuma Street Cultural Festival, a day of live music, food, history, and community that will honor Manhattan’s African American heritage and raise vital funds for its future. Set for Sun., Aug. 31, from 1 to 9 p.m. in the 900 block of Yuma Street, the event promises to shine a spotlight on Yuma Street’s rich legacy while supporting the creation of the Yuma Street Cultural Center.
A Historic Heartbeat of Kansas
Like many areas in cities all across America, Yuma Street in Manhattan was where Black families were “allowed” to live prior to integration. For well over a century, Yuma Street served as the spiritual, cultural, and social hub of Manhattan’s Black community.
“When I was growing up in Manhattan, Yuma Street was our main street. That’s where everything took place for the Black community,” recalls Dave Baker who led the effort to get the Yuma Street Historic District, from 9th to 10th Streets on Yuma, officially listed on the National Register of Historic Kansas Places.
The one-block stretch of Yuma Street includes five of the community’s key historic buildings: Second Baptist Church, the former Douglas Community Center Building that was built to serve as the USO for Black soldiers from Fort Riley, the Douglass School for Black children and the historic Shepard Chapel, formerly Second Methodist Church.
Over time, urban changes, population shifts, and fading institutions weakened Yuma Street’s role in the lives of the City’s Black community. However, Baker and members of the Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills (BEFH), are leading efforts to help save that history while inspiring future generations with the Yuma Street Cultural Center (YSCC).
Vision for the Cultural Center
Three years ago, Baker bought the Shepard Chapel building to save it from demolition.
“He had plans to turn it into a cultural center and had already started all the pieces,” said Sheila Ellis-Glasper, founder and president of the Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills.
About a year and half later, BEFH was looking for a building to house their growing entrepreneurship support organization and approached Butler to see if they knew of an available facility. Baker told them about his building and his idea.
“So we came in and added the entrepreneur and innovation hub piece of it and brought the two visions together.”
The result, YSCC will not focus solely on the past, the center will help shape the future. The center will offer cultural programming and tourism experiences that tell the district’s story and serve as a welcoming space for Fort Riley families and K-State students.
The center will also hone in on entrepreneurship by serving as a state-of-the-art business incubator and co-working space and offer an outdoor retail market showcasing local entrepreneurs. There will also be a chef-driven rotating restaurant incubator and community lounge.
Renovation of the building is expected to cost $1.7 million, with the first phase of the project getting underway this fall. That phase will include stabilizing the building and demolition of the interiors Phase 2, the major part of the project, will include renovation and buildout of the interior. Phase 3 of the project includes expansion of the 3,000 sq. ft. existing facility with a new 1,100 sq. ft. addition.
Festival Details: Celebrate, Connect, Give
In part, the inaugural Yuma Street Cultural Festival is about sharing the history of Yuma street, shedding a positive light on Yuma Street that over the year has gained a negative image, and bringing attention to the cultural center project.
Specific activities to enjoy at this free-to-the-public celebration will include:
- Live music and DJs (R&B, Afro-Beats, hip-hop, soul)
- Performances & Divine 9 Greek stroll-off showcases
- Food Village with Afro-Caribbean cuisine, soul food, vegan options, and local vendors
- Art & Vendor Market spotlighting regional artisans and entrepreneurs
- Kids Zone with games, bounce houses, and story time
- Historical Walking Tours, tracing paths of Jackie Robinson, MLK Jr., Lena Horne, and other key figures who lived in or visited the city, plus the homes of some of the city’s standout members including Earl Woods, the father of Tiger Woods, whose family was one of the initial nine Black families who relocated to Manhattan as part of the Exodusters movement.
- Cultural Exhibits, such as “140 Years of Soul,” spotlighting the Yuma community’s story.
All proceeds support the restoration and future programming of the Yuma Street Cultural Center.
