Gordon Parks Museum Celebrates Black History Month with

Tribute Panel Exhibit and Daily Quotes

Fort Scott, Kan. Jan. 28, 2026 – The Gordon Parks Museum at Fort Scott Community College is proud to celebrate Black History Month with a powerful and educational Black History Month Tribute Panel Exhibit, on display February 1–28, 2026, in the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center.

The exhibit features more than 100 posters, photographs, and informational panels highlighting influential Black innovators, leaders, artists, and change-makers whose contributions have shaped history and continue to inspire future generations. Visitors will also encounter a thoughtfully curated selection of inspiring and moving quotes that encourage reflection, dialogue, and deeper understanding.

In addition to the exhibit, the Museum will present a Black History Month “Quote of the Day” throughout February. Each daily quote will spotlight a different historical figure or contemporary voice, offering moments of inspiration and learning for visitors.

“This exhibit and daily quote series provide meaningful opportunities to highlight untold stories, celebrate achievement, and connect history to the world we live in today,” said Kirk Sharp, Executive Director of the Gordon Parks Museum. “It invites thoughtful discussion about the relevance of Black history in our daily lives and shared future.”

The Black History Month Tribute Panel Exhibit is free and open to the public during regular building hours.

For more information about the exhibit and contact the Gordon Parks Museum at 620-223-2700 ext.5850 or by email at [email protected].

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Fort Scott, Kan. – The Gordon Parks Museum in Fort Scott, KS will host “The Dockum Drugstore Sit-In,” a presentation and discussion by Dr. Prisca Barnes on Monday, January 19, 2026 at 12:00p.m. at the Danny & Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center. Members of the community are invited to attend the free program. Contact the Gordon Parks Museum at 620-223-2700 ext. 5850 for more information. The program is made possible by Humanities Kansas.

This is a free Lunch and Learn event, with gumbo soup lunch provided by Great Western Dining. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend this celebration event” said Museum Director, Kirk Sharp.

Seeking racial equity and an end to segregation, Wichita’s Black students organized and staged a sit-in in 1958 at Wichita’s Dockum Drugstore. Long denied entry into the city’s movie theaters and restaurants, students exercised their right to peacefully protest over a three-week period at the popular lunch counter. What transpired, how it ended, and the lasting impact it had on race relations in the city is the focus of this talk. More broadly, the talk will explore how these types of protests transformed the struggle for racial equity in America.

Dr. Prisca Barnes is the founder of Storytime Village, Inc., a nonprofit organization in Wichita that promotes reading among low-income children and families. She is a passionate advocate for equity in education and literacy.

“The Dockum Sit-in was one of the first student-led lunch counter protests of the Civil Rights era and it happened here in Kansas,” said Barnes. “It’s important to revisit its circumstances.”

“The Dockum Drugstore Sit-In” is part of Humanities Kansas’s Speakers Bureau and “21st Century Civics,” a collection of resources that invite Kansans to participate in community discussions and learn more about the history of American democracy and the shared responsibilities of citizenship. “21st Century Civics” is made possible with support from “A More Perfect Union: America at 250,” an initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

For more information about “The Dockum Drugstore Sit-In” in Fort Scott, KS contact The Gordon Parks Museum at 620- 223-2700 ext. 5850 or visit https://www.gordonparkscenter.org/

About Humanities Kansas

Humanities Kansas is an independent nonprofit leading a movement of ideas to empower the people of Kansas to strengthen their communities and our democracy. Since 1972, our pioneering programming, grants, and partnerships have documented and shared stories to spark conversations and generate insights. Together with our partners and supporters, we inspire all Kansans to draw on history, literature, ethics, and culture to enrich their lives and serve the communities and state we all proudly call home. Visit humanitieskansas.org.

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Fort Scott, Kan. – The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration events will be held in Fort Scott. All of the events will take place at Ellis Fine Arts Center (2108 Horton Street) and are open and free for the entire community to attend.

The events will start on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center with a free (Lunch and Learn) event that will be held at 12:00 p.m., featuring Fort Scott Community College Students and Pittsburg State University Students for a Tribute Reading of the “Letter From the Birmingham Jail” a written letter by Dr. King. Tomato soup, dessert, birthday cake and drinks will also be provided by Great Western Dining Services.

The celebration will wrap up on Monday, January 19th, with a film showing of the PBS home video documentary In Remembrance of Martin., (Lunch and Learn) event and Canned and Non-perishable Food Drive. Food items will be collected at the museum from 9:00am – till 2:00p.m. The film In Remembrance of Martin will be shown at 10:30a.m. The (Lunch and Learn) Speaker Presentation Event “The Dockum Drugstore Sit-In” by Dr. Prisca Barnes is will be held at 12:00p.m. – till 1:00p.m. Gumbo soup, drinks and desserts will be provided by Great Western Dining Services.

“The Dockum Drugstore Sit-In” is part of Humanities Kansas’s Speakers Bureau and “21st Century Civics,” a collection of resources that invite Kansans to participate in community discussions and learn more about the history of American democracy and the shared responsibilities of citizenship. “21st Century Civics” is made possible with support from “A More Perfect Union: America at 250,” an initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

More information on the events can be found at https://www.gordonparkscenter.org/events. For more information call the Gordon Parks Museum at 620-223-2700 ext. 5850.

Fort Scott, Kan. – The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration events will be held in Fort Scott. All of the events will
take place at Ellis Fine Arts Center and are open and free for the entire community to attend.
The events will start on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center with
a free (Lunch and Learn) event that will be held at 12:00p.m., featuring Fort Scott Community College Students
and Pittsburg State University Students for a Tribute Reading of the “Letter From the Birmingham Jail” a
written letter by Dr. King. Tomato soup, dessert, birthday cake and drinks will also be provided by Great
Western Dining Services.
The celebration will wrap up on Monday, January 19th, with a film showing of the PBS home video
documentary In Remembrance of Martin., (Lunch and Learn) event and Canned and Non-perishable Food
Drive. Food items will be collected at the museum from 9:00am – till 2:00p.m. The film In Remembrance of
Martin will be shown at 10:30a.m. The (Lunch and Learn) Speaker Presentation Event “The Dockum Drugstore
Sit-In” by Dr. Prisca Barnes is will be held at 12:00p.m. – till 1:00p.m. Gumbo soup, drinks and desserts will be
provided by Great Western Dining Services.
“The Dockum Drugstore Sit-In” is part of Humanities Kansas’s Speakers Bureau and “21st Century Civics,” a
collection of resources that invite Kansans to participate in community discussions and learn more about the
history of American democracy and the shared responsibilities of citizenship. “21st Century Civics” is made
possible with support from “A More Perfect Union: America at 250,” an initiative of the National Endowment for
the Humanities.
More information on the events can be found at https://www.gordonparkscenter.org/events. For more
information call the Gordon Parks Museum at 620-223-2700 ext. 5850.
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Fort Scott, Kan. Nov. 20, 2025 – The Gordon Parks Museum at Fort Scott Community College will
celebrate the anniversary of Gordon Parks’ birthday on Wednesday, December 3rd for a speaking
presentation and performance by Lem Sheppard, internationally known musician and historian titled
“Gordon Parks: His Music and The Music Around Him”. The event is free of charge and the public is
invited to attend. Throughout the day, visitors will be able to receive a 25% birthday discount on all
apparel items.
Parks, born in Fort Scott on November 30, 1912, would have been 113 this year. He died in March 7,
2006 at the age of 93.
For more information contact the Gordon Parks Museum at 620- 223-2700, ext. 5850 or by email
at [email protected]

Celebrating Gordon Parks
113th Birthday
Lunch & Learn

FREE EVENT
Bring your lunch
Birthday Cake and Drinks, will be provided!!
Join us as Lem Sheppard, internationally known musician and historian
will be presenting a program of some of Gordon’s music along with Jazz,
blues, and Spirituals. Gordon Parks was born and grew up during the
period that was referred to as the Harlem Renaissance and he will perform
music that Gordon would have experienced as a child in Fort Scott,
as well as in; St. Paul, Chicago and New York City.
For more information contact the Gordon Parks Museum at
620 -223-2700 ext 5850 or email: gordonparkscenter@fortscott.

The Gordon Parks Museum will host a grand opening event and dedication
ceremony for the Wayman Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church Commemorative Park on
Thursday, October 2, at 4:30 p.m. as part of the Gordon Parks Celebration events.

The commemorative park is located at 301 S. Lowman Street in Fort Scott, on the historic site that was once
home to the oldest Black church in Fort Scott. The land, formerly the property of Wayman Chapel AME
Church, was generously donated to the Gordon Parks Museum by Fort Scott resident Josh Jones, through the
Fort Scott Community College Foundation.

The church was regularly attended by Gordon Parks and his family, and was even featured in a scene from
Parks’ acclaimed film, The Learning Tree.

Originally established in 1866, the church moved to its final location at Third and Lowman in 1885, where it
stood for more than 115 years as a spiritual and cultural cornerstone of Fort Scott’s Black community.

Declining membership and unsafe building conditions eventually led to its condemnation and demolition in the
early 2000s.

While the building is gone, its legacy endures: two original stained-glass windows, two pews, and
other archival objects from the church are now preserved in the Gordon Parks Museum’s permanent collection.

The property has since been transformed into a commemorative, low-maintenance park honoring the legacy of
the church.

The new display signage includes four large storyboard panels (76” x 27”) featuring photos,
graphics, and text that highlight the church’s rich history and its vital role in the local Black community. These
panels are installed on a concrete slab beneath a pergola structure (12’ x 20’). In addition, a large 4’ x 3’
welcome sign will greet visitors at the park entrance.

The commemorative park is funded in part by Kansas Tourism and made possible with generous support from:
Armstrong Pressure Washing, LLC, Bourbon County Historical Association, City of Fort Scott, Fort Scott Area
Community Foundation, Fort Scott Community College Foundation, The Healthy Bourbon County Action
Team’s Local Health Equity Action Team (LHEAT), Josh Jones, Rick Mayhew, My One Stop, Marbery
Concrete, Inc. and McKenney Masonry, LLC.