THE KANSAS INSTITUTE FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN
AND NATIVE-AMERICAN FAMILY HISTORY
This website concerns: African American history -- especially historic
and current connections with Native Americans-- and social history of the American
Mid-West, family history, and commemorating Kansas history.
(NOTICE: For viewers using a computer, all the links
should open, perhaps in “a new frame,” But, for any that does not open, try using
a control+click procedure. Then, look at the
top of your screen for that new frame and click on it.
To join the KIAANAFH download and fill out this form and send any
voluntary dues and/or contribution
($25/yr is has been our dues in the past) to our
Treasurer.
Make checks payable to “KIAANAFH” -contributions
& membership payments are tax deductable!
==========================================================
LATEST FEATURED ITEMS
Latest featured NEWS
from Condresswoman Sharice Davids, for link to information and resources |
re COVID in Kansas CLICK HERE
US Supreme Court favors
Muscogee Creek land
claims (click on NYTimes link for story)
Among its last rulings, the court handed Native Americans
their biggest legal victory in decades when it ruled that much of eastern
Oklahoma had long been a reservation of the Muscogee
(Creek) Nation. For Muscogee
citizens, the win was deeply personal.
FEATURED FAMILIES
CHARLES MCAFEE
“Considered the most important African American
architect in the United States, Charles McAfee of Wichita, Kansas, has used
architecture to create opportunities for African Americans and make social
commentary about racial inequality.” (The History Makers)
To visit several websites featuring Charles McAfee, open this file, CLICK
HERE
and if links don’t open with control-click, copy webaddresses
into your browser address
=====================
Edith Walker’s Kansas
pioneer family
click
Here for
Matin's introduction of Edith Walker,
and click
here for Edith Walker's presentation.
===============================
Some HARDIN and JOHNSON FAMILIES of Leavenworth, KS background
For
photos and some of the history of these families click here
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OTHER FEATURED ITEMS
AND LINKS:
Key early Community-building African American organizations and
people of
North-East
Kansas City, KS:
by Rev. Robert L. Baynham, Pastor of Metropolitan Church for
video, click here
The "Bleeding Kansas Heritage Area
Project" now transformed into the
Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area (click here for its
website)
OTHER FAMILIES
Obituary about a prominent
member of a Wichita family
June Bacon-Bercey, pathbreaking TV meteorologist, dies at
90.
She was a pathbreaking meteorologist with Wichita roots |
[From
The Wichita Eagle, January 9 2020 , Local
Obituaries, original copy from obituary By Daniel E. Slotnik,
New York Times January 08, 2020] Undated photo provided via Dail St.Claire
June
Bacon-Bercey was the first African American woman to
deliver weather forecasts on American television as a trained meteorologist.
Before her marriage, she had studied math at Friends
University in Wichita before earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in
meteorology from the University of California, Los Angeles, in the mid-1950s.
After graduating, she worked at the National Meteorological Center
in Washington and then for the Atomic Energy Commission and the Sperry Rand
Corp. In 1979 she earned a master’s degree in public administration from the
University of Southern California’s journalism school. She was one of the African American pioneers on
television, irrespective of gender.
In 1972,
the American Meteorological Society awarded Bacon-Bercey
its “Seal of Approval,” given for excellence in on-air meteorology. She was the
first African American and the first woman to receive that honor.
A year later, she left WGR to become a public
speaker. She later worked for the National Weather Service and the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
She has
also personally endowed a scholarship through the American Geophysical Union
for women to study atmospheric sciences.
For the full obituary story click here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEATURED FOR SUGGESTED
READING:
Quotes from Jack D Forbes book: AFRICANS AND NATIVE AMERICANS: The
Language of Race and the Evolution of Red-Black Peoples, University of Illinois
Press 1993 (p270-3) “By the nineteenth century it seems
quite certain that Afroamericans, (sic) whether
living in Latin America, the Caribbean or in North America, had absorbed
considerable amounts of Native American ancestry. Similarly, many North American and circum-Carobbean (sic) native groups had absorbed varying
amounts of African ancestry, from New England to the entire rim of Central and
South America... [they] might have varying amounts of African and American
ancestry derived at different intervals and from extremely diverse sources – as
from American nations as different as the Narragansett or Pequot and the Carib
or Arawak, or from African nations as diverse as the Mandinka, Yoruba, and
Malagasy.”
----------------------------------------------------
OTHER FEATURED NEWS
Honoring Native American
Heritage Month in Oklahoma
Tuesday, November 19, 2019 Re: Cherokee Nation items on this commemoration, click on next link for website of Cherokee.org November is a significant time for the Cherokee Nation
and other tribal nations across the United States. This is the time that we
commemorate (click > for online story) Native American Heritage
Month.
FEATURED PREVIOUS
PROGRAM:
VIDEO
of the
Humboldt, Kansas ceremony from June, 2000, commemorating "THE GREAT
ESCAPE" of Indians and Blacks over "The Trail of Blood on Ice" from
"Indian Territory" (now Oklahoma) to Kansas. This 1861/2 flight was led by the
Muskogee leader Opothleyahola and
reflected a "comrades in arms"
collaboration between many thousands of Native Americans and
hundreds of African Americans to escape slavery and/or the Confederacy.
Click here for the introduction to our DVD on the complete ceremony. Please note
that all the video footage on this ceremony is under copyright protection by
the KIAANAFH and may not legally be reproduced without our permission. Click HERE
for video footage of the opening of the ceremony and the speech by the Muskogee
Creek Indian Nation's Principal Chief, Mr. R. Perry Beaver, and the first half
of the presensation by KIAANAFH President Prof.
Willard R Johnson. CLICK HERE for the completion of Johnson's
presentation, and other speakers about the experience of the refugees.
CLICK HERE for PART THREE to continue the presentations by
descendants of the refugees and of some of the principal figures in the story
of the Great Escape.
CLICK HERE for PART FOUR to complete the presentations by
descendants, including direct descendants of Opothleyahola
and other leaders of that time. (See near the very bottom of this web page for
more material on this event.)
More information on the GREAT ESCAPE
program is near the bottom of this website.
=========================================================
OTHER FEATURED FAMILIES
The Fort Scott KS family members for Mr. Lyle Gibson
For blog re his film on Lyle Gibson’s family history project: click here
for the family history narrative
and for related photos control click here and control click here
FEATURED ARTICLES Sharice Davids,
a citizen of the Ho-Chunk Nation, won the Democratic primary for a
Congressional seat in Kansas.
(control+click here) Another
Native woman advances in historic year for Native candidates
For profile and record of
Congresswoman Davids click here
FEATURED VIDEOS
(SOME
ARE REPEATS FROM ABOVE)
Edith
Walker’s Kansas pioneer family
click
here
for Matin's
introduction of Edith Walker, and click here for Edith Walker's
presentation.
Regarding the Sims family, the McAfee family, and others of Wichita:
by Mr. Charles McAfee, of McAfee3Architects Co. for
video click here
Regarding
The African
American communities of North-East Kansas City, KS:
by Rev. Robert L. Baynham
for
video, click here
“Pompey” Fixico (descendant
of Caesar Bruner of the Seimonle/Creek/Mascogos)
regarding their relevance to Blacks in Mexico, as well as “Cinco de Mayo” celebrations: click
the following link FEATURED online – BLOG ENTRYs
https://refixico.wordpress.com/2018/08/09/john-horse-dr-runoko-rashidi-carl-nelsons-woldc-radio-program-los-mascogos-and-fort-negros-fixico/
Or, IF THAT DOES NOT
WORK, copy the following text into your web browser location window https://refixico.wordpress.com/2018/08/09/john-horse-dr-runoko-rashidi-carl-nelsons-woldc-radio-program-los-mascogos-and-fort-negros-fixico/
For a subsequent entry on similar issue, try typing this address into
your browser > https://refixico.wordpress.com_2018_alliances-gullah-geechee-seminole-maroons-mascogo-maroons-john-horse-carl-nelsons-woldc-news-and-fort-negros-fixico/
------------------------------
Selected
video footage from two special panels presented at the 2017 60th
Annual National Conference of the U.S. African Studies Association, featuring
the career of Dr. Willard R. Johnson This footage starts with fourth
segment of the full set of videos, and
is located at https://youtu.be/J8NF_a_n2Wk
this segment should be advanced to start at about the 25:25
marker point, to start with the
first part of Dr. Vivian R. Johnson discussion of Willard’s and her work on
genealogy regarding Kansas ancestors and related social history. View on to the
finish of that segmen Note: the first photo, of “Bettie,” is NOT of “The
Madagascar Woman” but rather her daughter. We have no name or photo of the
Madagascan.. In the next segment, the statue for the
First Kansas Colored Regiment is located in Missouri] Then continue on the next
segment, at https://youtu.be/MJFs-VSaYrU This segment ends with remarks by
Willard. His discussion continues of the
final segment: at https://youtu.be/sFvk_DeRIK4
and includes audience remarks and questions
including remarks by former
American and African students and associates of Willard, and remarks and
questions by Dr. Adekeye
Adebajo of the University of Johannesburg who
heads their Institute of Pan-African Thought and
Conversation.
Next
is footage regarding from Willard
R. Johnson’s presentation to Univ. of Johannesburg Conference organized by Dr. Adebajo, called “The Pan-African Pantheon,” regarding the
contributions to Pan-Africanism of Mr. Harry Belafonte For an extensive excerpt from this
presentation-- click here
======================================================
Interview
with noted, now retired and Florida based physician
Dr. Joseph K. Hurd, MD,
regarding
his many generations of Kansas family history!
For
an online"You-tube" based record of this
interview
click here, and then use the "play
all" box at top left!
-----Dr. Joseph K. Hurd ---------------and one of his----- Willingham
ancestors-----
=====================================================
2015
PROGRAMS:
FORUMS: HISTORY AND CURRENT CHALLENGES
OF SOME
KANSAS BLACK COMMUNITIES, and
HISTORY OF SOME OF THEIR NOTABLE FAMILIES
==========================================
WICHITA AREA FORUM
November 14, 2015 ---- Unity Church of Wichita, KS
co-sponsored by UNITY Of Wichita, and the KIAANAFH
Presentations:
Some key African American Humboldt KS families:
by Dr. Willard R. Johnson, retired MIT Professor -
Introduction by Ms Wilma Moore-Black, Wichita State
Upward Bound Program Director
(facilitated by the MIT Department of Political Science)
for
a video of the introduction and W. Johnson's presentation click
here
(ignore any YouTube ads, they are not by us)
for the second part of Johnson, click here
for final part of Johnson's presentation, click here
The George and
Catherine Walker family, by Edith Walker
for
video of Ms E. Walker's presentation click
here
The Brown Family:
by Ms. Shelia Brown-Kinnard, Educator for this video, click here
The Sexton Family:
by Dr. Eric Sexton, V.P. Wichita State Univ. for presentation click here
for video of audience discussion of this family this link for the video
The Sims Family, the
McAfee family, and others of Wichita:
by Mr. Charles McAfee, of McAfee3Architects Co. for video click here
final
discussion video
1 and
video
2
=====================================================================
KANSAS CITY AREA FORUM
October 31, 2015 -- Metropolitan Baptist Church, KC, Kansas
(This forum was co-sponsored by the Kansas Humanities Council)
Presentations:
Master of Ceremonies, Ms. Geri Sanders videoclip
Ms
Angela Bates presented on the historic Black town of Nicodemus:
we have no video of the presentation itself, but here is a video on the Q&A discussion
Quindaro:
history and commemorative quilts, by Ms. Nedra Bonds
5 videos on this presentation and discussion 1st part of Bonds speech
, 2nd
part of Bonds speech ,
Q n A 1st part , Q n A 2nd part
, Q
n A final part
Key Community Building orgs and people of NorthEast Kansas Ciity, KS:
by Rev. Robert L. Baynham
for
video, click here (repeat
entry from that featured near beginning of webpage)
Gordon Parks: by Charles McAfee, Architect for video on the main presentation, click here
for
video of discussion, click here
Watch
this space for future posting of more videos from this forum
=====================================================================
ALSO LOOK AT THE MATERIALS FEATURED
BELOW:
video -- Concepts of citizenship relevant to Blacks with Indians
(This 2 hour panel from February 2011 at
M.I.T. incluudes a 20+ minute talk by Willard R.
Johnson ---for his talk, after starting the video, move the location mark to
start at 1hr 17 minutes.)
================================================
--
OUR 2012 PUBLIC FORUM --
“Out of the shadows:
Notable African American families
and sites of Mid-America”
Saturday, August 25, 2012 -- 10am to 2pm
at The Black Archives of Mid-America
1722 E. 17th Terrace, Kansas City, MO 64108
Sponsored by The KIAANAFH (with partial
support by FFNHA, the Black Archives of Mid-America,
and the M.I.T. Political Science Dept.)
WE DISCUSSED HOW/WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM OUR OWN FAMILY
HISTORIES, and
HOW TO BRING OUT THEIR BROADER SIGNIFICANCE!
The stories we discussed concerned the families in the Kansas and Missouri area
that settled here before 1950.
We hope to help our children and grandchildren take pride in their family’s
heritage.
We aim to bring prominence to our stories by making them known to the thousands
of tourists who, in coming years,
will visit the U.S. National Park Service’s project called Freedom’s Frontier
National Heritage Area (FFNHA).
We also discussed important but still all too little known places and people in
KS/MO history, such as:
o Dr. George Washington Carver: scientist, educator, inventor, artist, born in
MO, product of KS education.
o Sarah Rector: the richest Black woman in the US,
perhaps the world of her time, who was a resident of KC.
o Bishop John Andrew Greg: who was a noted educator, U.S. diplomat, AME church
leader, resident of KC, KS.
o Melvin B. Tolson:
educator, labor organizer, civic leader, coach of the famous “Great Debaters,”
resident of KC, MO.
o Polly Crossilin: Black Seminole/Creek Indian
founder of the Colored Church (Poplar Grove) of Humboldt, KS.
o The role Sumner High School of Kansas City in
producing many African American leaders.
o Contributions of the region's African American
women's clubs and organizations.
o The contributions of the early local African
American churches.
o Stories and sites introduced by the participants.
Speakers included:
Ms. Julie McPike,
Project Coordinator, FFNHA
Mr. Chester Owens, former member of KC, KS City Council
Mr. Robert Farnsworth, historian and biographer of Melvin B. Tolson
Dr. Doretha Williams, Executive Director of the Black
Archives of Mid-America
Ms. Geraldlyn Sanders, Assistant to the President of
the KC Art Institute, activist in M.A.G.I.C., KIAANAFH Board
Dr. Khadijah Matin, former National President
Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, KIAANAFH Board
Rev. Robert L. Baynham, Pastor of the Metropolitan
Baptist Temple in KC, KS, KIAANAFH Vice President
Dr. Willard R. Johnson, retired Professor of Political Science at MIT and
KIAANAFH President
Ms. Edith Walker, math teacher at the Commonwealth School in Boston, KIAANAFH
Treasurer
Ms. Deborah Tucker, retired librarian, Wayne State University, KIAANAFH Board
---------------------------------------------------------
For "YouTube" based VIDEOS of this forum
click on the following links.
Click
here
for the first 4 presentations --the Forum Introduction by Dr. Khadijah Matin, the explanation of the FFNHA project by Ms. Julie McPike, the introduction to Sarah Rector story by Ms. Geraldlyn Sanders, and discussions by Mr. Chester Owens of
AME Bishop Gregg, and the first part of the Sumner High School story.
Click here for the continuation of Mr. Owens' presentation regarding
Sumner High School, followed by Robert Farnsworth on the many contributions of
"The Great Debater's" coach, Melvin Tolson.
Click
here
for the video clip of Khadijah Matin's presentation
on her Nebraska pioneer family's Kansas experience, followed by Deborah
Tucker's discussion of the life and achievements of Dr. George Washington
Carver, and then the first part of the presentation by Ms
Doretha Williams about early women's clubs in Kansas;
AND
Click
here
for the end of the Williams presentation on women's clubs, and the first half
of the presentation by Rev. R.L. Baynham regarding
the early development of Black churches in Kansas, and click here for the rest of that presentation by Rev. Baynham;
click here for Matin's introduction of
Edith Walker, and click here for Edith Walker's presentation about
her pioneer family in Kansas.
For a video of the presentation and related photos
regarding "Aunt Polly" Crosslin, by W.R.
Johnson click here
To continue with a few more sites and
photos relating to this presentation click
here.
=================================================
OTHER FEATURED LINKS
African Native American Genealogy Forum for all topics on Black/Indian
connections, especially the recent controversies regarding restoration of
historic citizenship rights for "Freedman"
Freedmen Descendants of the 5 Tribes website
"Muskogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band" organization
-- for their 2015 Conference speakers click here
"Creek Freedman" Organization
Concepts of citizenship relevant to Blacks and Indians
(this 2 hour panel incluudes
a 15 minute talk by Willard R. Johnson regarding Blacks and Indians (start the
video, and to hear only Johnson's presenttion, move
the location marker to 1hr 17 min mark into the video)
For
current news from an Indian nations perspective, click here
National
Congress of Black American Indians launched
in July 2014---
for the Indianz News article on this
event, click here
As mentioned above regarding the present form of The "Bleeding Kansas
Heritage Area Project" for Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area (click here for its
website) –
and --
(for information on ALL the Heritage Areas, click here )
Black Archives of Mid-America
BLACK
PAST: African American History through people and places;
see especially the vignette of Seminole Chiefs Billy Bowleg (Halpata & Sonaki Micco)
National Resources for doing genealogy on African Americans and
Native Americans
AfroAmerican Historical
and Genealogy Society
Afrigeneas - genealogy and history site
The Kansas African American Museum -- Wichita
Mid West Indian
Center Wichita
Heart of America Indian Center KC MO
National American Indian Museum
FOR SOME OTHER HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING
ABOUT KANSAS SOCIAL HISTORY
<>
CITIZENS CREEK
This is by the Author of the best-selling books: Cane
River, and Red River
We very seldom impose on our contacts to call
attention to commercial products, however relevant they may be to the common
interests of the visitors to this website. However, having read this book (and,
indeed all her previous ones) and having discussed it with her throughout much
of its development, and finding it truly an extraordinarily informative,
moving, historically well-grounded in the available facts, and brilliantly
rendered work of historical fiction – we feel confident in recommending it to
our members and friends. This is a very important story about Cow Tom and his
family, his close associates (such as Harry Island) and owner (Chief Yargee) . Tom and Island were
among the most famous and consequential of the Black interpreters for the
Creek, Seminole, and Cherokee Native American nations, during the period of the
“Indian removals” and American Civil War. Such a story has ramifications for
relations between many African Americans and Native Americans today. It was
published by Atria Books division of Simon and Shuster, Inc. We recommend this
book to a wide range of readers - those who enjoy engrossing fiction, or a good
multigenerational family story, or important but still rather overlooked
aspects of American history.
You can ORDER Citizens Creek through Amazon at this webiste or through the author's website
www.lalitatademy.com, just click through any of the links there
(Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or an independent bookseller) For more information,
also see the website www.simonandshuster.com
or www.facebook.com/atriabooks.
Also consider the book that records a very relevant
2009 exhibit at
The National Museum of Native Americans, Washington D.C.
“INDIVISIBLE”
you can order this book from the Smithsonian Stores:
phone 1-800-331-3761, or online at www.AmericanIndian.si.edu/bookshop
or search by this ISBN:
978-1-58834-271-3
FIND FURTHER RESOURCE LINKS BELOW
Other KIAANAFH PAST ACHIEVEMENTS include:
* Transcription
of a “breakout session” panel at the 57 th
Annual Session of the National Council of American Indians that focussed on "The Legacy and Future of Black/Indian Relations." The session
was organized by former Cherokee Principal Chief Wilma Mankiller,
with the assistance of Dr. Willard R. Johnson and the KIAANAFH. The
transcription was rendered by Dr. Johnson and is published for posting here and
in print by the KIAANAFH. Click on this link for the transcription of this NCAI
session on BLACK/ INDIAN RELATIONS - TRANSCRIPT. You may download and print this transcription for personal,
classroom, civic organizational or other strictly non-commercial uses
only.
For an extensive bibliography and resource list developed by participants in
this panel under the leadership of Chief Mankiller
and Dr. Patrick Minges, click the next link click here for Bibglioraphy on historic connections between African
Americans and Native Americans
For
more regarding THE
GREAT ESCAPE CEREMONY click > "Tracing Trails of Blood on Ice: The Great Escape" of Indians and Blacks into Kansas." Also
Click the next link for text and photo material relating to this ceremony!
(click here for estimated route of the escape)
You may order a copy of our DVD of the complete
ceremony, -- $20 for members, plus $4 shipping. $30 plus shipping for
non-members.
The Negro History Bulletin of Jan.-Dec.
2001 (Vol. 64) carried an article by Willard R. Johnson regarding this story . Click here for a text only copy of this individual
article for non-commercial use. The whole issue containing this article and
teaching guides may be purchased through the Association for the Study of
African American Life and History, publications archive website: ASAALH publication archive store
*KIAANAFH also contributed to the
planning for the original "Bleeding Kansas Heritage Area" project,
including the LeRoy Kansas Opothleyahola Memorial
site that is part of that tour area, as part of a 4-county Heritage Tour area
that was inspired by and based on the story commemorated in KIAANAFH's June
2000 "Great Escape" ceremony, called "Tracing Trails of Blood on
Ice." Video footage of this entire ceremony is featured at the beginning
of this webpage, above.
--- for a
photograph and more information on the LeRoy site, click here---
The whole trail will be part of the
Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area mentioned above.
OTHER PAST KIAANAFH ACCOMPLISHMENTS include:
* Seminars/exhibitions on pioneer African
American families in the Southeast Kansas area with principal funding support
from the Kansas Humanities Council.
*
Round-Table discussions within the Kansas based African American communities to
document the connections the various episodes of forced removal of Native
American nations from the South Eastern United States during the 1830s “Trail
of Tears."
*
A workshop among families that participated in the round-table programs
together with experts and officials from the National Archives and Records
Administration (from Washington DC and Ft. Worth TX offices) devoted to
documentation for connections between the African- and Native- American
peoples.
* CHEROKEE NATION CENSUS (1869/1870):
transcription of a Cherokee pension census commissioned in 1869, and supervised
by Capt. J. W. Craig. It records ALL known residents in the territory of The
Cherokee Nation (Indian Territory/Oklahoma) including colored persons, whether
citizens or not, and intruders. This census was submitted to the Commissioner
of Indian Affairs in Dec. 1871 by F. E. Foster, Sp. Agent in the Pension
Office. It had been lost in the National Archives since 1871.
============================================
The KIAANAFH is an independent,
non-profit, membership organization founded in 1991 to promote the
preservation, documentation, and appreciation of family identity, traditions,
and achievements of the members of the African American and Native American
communities of the Mid-West United States.
The KIAANAFH aims to assist families which have a greater Kansas area
regional base of ancestral roots and perhaps widely scattered branches, to
know, preserve, strengthen and celebrate their own achievements.
The KIAANAFH was founded by persons whose
parents or grandparents were/are still resident in Kansas, or whose current
work is associated with the study and preservation of historical material
relating to Kansas. Many of them
represent mixtures of African American and Native American descent, or have
"Freedman," and/or “comrade in arms” connections with Native American
peoples. Many of them are academicians, in a variety of fields, who can help
identify and mobilize resources to assist families to document themselves more
fully and to preserve their important memorabilia. In particular, they aim to
improve the resource base for revealing and commemorating the often neglected
and difficult to document aspects of African American and Native American
genealogical and historical relationships.
(Logo items: K=haystack, I=eye floating eye of inquiry, As=African
pyramids, NA= “teepees” F= head of family headdress, H=ancestral fan.In the list of KIAANAFH leadership the Kansas area ancestral city of
relevance is in parentheses.)
