The community is invited to celebrate B.L.A.C.K. (Black Literature and Arts Collective of Kansas) Lawrence’s 10th year of advocacy at an event where members will present a new project bridging their contemporary work with the work of historical Black cultural icons.
The grassroots collective launched in 2016 to foster, celebrate and amplify Black literature, arts and creative culture in Lawrence and the surrounding region.
The group’s upcoming presentation, “Unveiling Stories: A Black Creative History Project,” pairs three current collective members with Black artists from Kansas or the broader region.
For instance, Alex Kimball Williams will connect her practice to Nora Holt, a Kansas City-born Harlem Renaissance pianist, scholar, music critic and co-founder of the National Association of Negro Musicians, according to the release. Kimball Williams “will explore the intersection of community organizing and performance art, demonstrating how her work combining research and synthesizers directly influences public policy,” according to the release.
Brother Tai Amri, poet and educator, “will present poetic explorations connecting his literary work on class, race, and spirituality to the historic legacy of Langston Hughes and the visionary creators behind FIRE!! A Quarterly Devoted to the Younger Negro Artists,” according to the release. He will share offerings inspired by the vision of the creators of the 1926 publication.
And photographer Leah Evans will share her visual approach and link her work to Kansas-born photographer, filmmaker and author Gordon Parks. “Evans will explore Parks’ unique creative philosophy and how his visual storytelling addresses social issues that persist today,” according to the release.
The event is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20 at Holcom Park Recreation Center, 2700 W. 27th St. It’s free to attend and all are welcome.
The project is among recipients of 2025 Rocket Grants, a program of Charlotte Street and the Spencer Museum of Art, and funding is provided by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, according to the release.
Learn more about the collective members on their website, blacklawrence.org, and follow their Facebook page for updates.
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