KC’s Black Archives of Mid-America is a living catalyst for Black art, history, and culture in the region

Jars of soil sit alongside Levi Harrington’s memorial marker, honoring the lives of lynching victims. // Photo by Mary Henn

[Update Jan 22, 2024: The interview subject in this story has requested that personal identifying information be removed for safety. They are now referred to throughout as [Subject] for clarity.]

The Black Archives of Mid-America, near 18th and Vine in Kansas City, has a host of galleries—permanent and rotating—on display. Led by Executive Director Dr. Carmaletta Johnson and Museum Curator [Subject], the Archives hosts events and uses the galleries to give a platform to Black art, history, and culture.

One of the Archives’ objectives is to share with the public artifacts and documents pertaining to the “social, economic, political, and cultural histories of persons of African American descent in the central United States, with particular emphasis in the Kansas City, Missouri region.”

The Galleries themselves are laid out in multiple, thoughtful rooms. The north side of the building houses a permanent exhibit, With My Eyes No Longer Blind, referencing the poem “I look at the world” by Langston Hughes. The exhibition follows the various accounts of African Americans in Kansas City from the early days of Lewis and Clark to the 1990s when Emanuel Cleaver II served as Kansas City’s first Black mayor.

The exhibit is a comprehensive one: Arranged both chronologically and thematically, its illustrations and explanations highlight the development of Black-owned and influenced churches and schools, places of entertainment, businesses, and social clubs.

At the back of the exhibit, [Subject] points to a memorial marker that pays tribute to the life of Levi Harrington.

Harrington was a young Black man who was seized from wrongful police custody and killed by a white lynch mob on April 3, 1882. The next day, Harrington was declared innocent.

[Subject] explains that the marker, crafted by Missouri’s Community Remembrance Project (CRP) and the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI)—collaborative organizations seeking to put an end to racial inequity—was damaged in a hate crime in June 2020. Harrington’s memorial once stood in Case Park, [Subject] says, but someone sawed through the marker’s metal pole and threw it down a nearby hill. This person or group responsible has yet to be identified.

“The attack on the marker represents a violent denial of truth and the very right of Black communities and other communities of color to proclaim it,” reads a comment from the CRP. “We mourn the horrific loss of Mr. Harrington at the hands of an incited mob, and the mob-like behavior that took away his story.”

Despite these actions, Harrington’s false imprisonment and death will not be forgotten. This year, community members worked to prevent further historical erasure by collecting soil from areas where Harrington and other victims of racial violence were killed. Alongside Harrington’s memorial, the jars of soil are on permanent display as part of the CRP’s Soil Collection Exhibit, which opened in the Archives April 10, 2021.

According to research done by the EJI, Harrington was one of over 4,400 lynchings in the U.S. between Reconstruction and World War II.

“The Big Three,” Felix Maull, acrylic on canvas. // Photo by Emily Standlee

On the south side of the Galleries is a temporary exhibition called People, which wraps up this afternoon, Aug. 6. It features portraits from Black artists such as George Mayfield, Robert Castillo, Adrian Halpern, Keyon Woods, Felix Maull, and River Makenzie. The People gallery serves as a follow-up to Valor!, a critically acclaimed Black History Month presentation honoring local Black veterans that [Subject] curated in February.

[Subject] himself served in the Marine Corps.

“I carried that discipline into my aspirations and managed to produce a comedy show, perform in clubs, and act in three major theatre productions—all while on active duty,” [Subject] says.

He worked with Mayor Quinton Lucas as an intern and on the campaign trail, where trips to the Archives piqued his interest in creating art exhibits.

“Ancestral Nobility I,” Robert Castillo, oil and pastel on cold-press paper. // Photo by Emily Standlee

“People is more of a statement,” [Subject] says. “It’s an ignition based on my desire to learn about the world around me—[I’ve] worked with an eclectic group of artists whose styles contrast with the traditional norm of previous exhibits.”

Indeed, People is emotional. No two works totally resemble one another, yet there is a dynamic quality about the collection that feels cohesive and whole.

“I wanted to experiment with my own creative tastes,” says [Subject].“I find that human connection is what brings us together and breaks down all barriers.”

Hanging on the right-hand side of the room is a bold piece by Robert Castillo titled “The Bassist,” its subject playing upright bass in a field of multicolored squares. The surrounding squares are a mix of black, white, and gray.

“Castillo is notable for designing the Streetcar terminal art here in Kansas City,” [Subject] says. “His work is complemented by George Mayfield, who introduces a series of aboriginal African tribes.”

Work by Adrian Halpern, Keyon Woods, and River Makenzie is also on display in the Gallery.

The Galleries embody and give public voice to the mission of the Archives in celebrating and examining centuries of African American history and culture in the region. But even beyond these exhibitions, their work continues to live, grow, and look to the future. Community members are given access to the archives as research materials or publication resources, and visitors are welcome into active conversations exploring Black art and wellness.

On July 24, for example, Missouri State Representative Michael Johnson came to the Archive to speak openly about his experience with mental health and access to health care.

“You can be unaware that you’re being traumatized,” Johnson says, opening up the room for the sharing of stories. “It can affect you without you even knowing it’s happening.”

[Subject] says Rep. Johnson effectively set in motion the conversation regarding a need for transparency around mental health.

“I come from a community where evidence supports a likelihood to experience a mental health condition,” he says. “While exploring intersectionality can be overwhelming, it’s important to understand what a person’s risk factors are and why.”

Populations of color have long dealt with push-back from social and political systems alike, which [Subject] likens to finding one’s footing despite the shakiness of the foundation.

“Serving on active duty, the common narrative was that weak men sought help, even though it was readily available,” says [Subject]. “Different mediums such as music, performing and fine arts, and STEM can remedy a person’s mental health state—especially in Kansas City. Anyone can reiterate mental health policy to steer clear of the stigma, but it’s vulnerability and being transparent that makes the connection.”

A 2015 article published by the American Psychological Association stated that 86% of psychologists in the U.S. were white. A recent piece in The Kansas City Beacon explores the lack of Black therapists in the Kansas City area. Something needs to change, and fast.

“It begins with investing in mental health education for our schools,” [Subject] says.

Even now, the potential for deleted history looms large, and perhaps honest dialogue is the key to stopping it.

“One thing is for sure,” [Subject] says. “I’m in the middle of a chain reaction.”

People closes Friday, Aug. 6. With My Eyes No Longer Blind and CRP’s Soil Collection Exhibit is open permanently.

Black Archives of Mid-America
1722 E. 17th Terrace
Kansas City, MO 64108

Follow the Equal Justice Initiative on Instagram @eji_org.