Nicodemus, Kansas
Occasionally I’ll see a story in the news paper or on television that to me needs to be told in dramatic form – a seldom-told story that says something important about our society. When I do, I’m going to mention it in the blog.
We cannot tell all the stories that deserve to be told without your help. If you are a playwright or a hip hop artist and are looking for a story, the founding of Nicodemus, Kansas is one of them.
In 1877, some three hundred newly-emancipated slaves from Kentucky took advantage of the Homestead Act of 1862. They determined to create the first all black settlement in the Great Plain. These people walked almost seven hundred miles across five states and created the town of Nicodemus, Kansas.
The reason for the choice of this name is not known. One speculation is that it was named after a character in the Bible. Another is that it refers to an African Prince who was taken into slavery and later purchased his freedom. But what is remarkable is that this is a town that remembers its roots.
Every year the town holds an Emancipation Homecoming Celebration the last Sunday in July.
Do You Have a Story That Needs to Be Told?
The story of the founding of Nicodemus, Kansas is one that needs to be told. People only need to be given a chance to succeed. If you give them that chance, they will. What a great theme for a musical!
We want to tell these stories – we want to tell your stories.
Follow us on social media. Donate. Send us work.
Keep us busy during the theater shutdown!