Kansas Stories - Humanities Kansas

Big Idea: Free Did Not Mean Welcome for My Family

Millions of African Americans left the South after Emancipation looking for freedom. Some journeyed to Kansas, a "free state." Discover how many realized that for Black people in Kansas, "Free" did not mean "Welcome."

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Full Story Spark a Conversation with Big Ideas about Women This Movement of Ideas kit looks at the role of Kansas women in history and science and the importance of challenging stereotypes. Read the Big Idea essays and find activities to spark conversations. Full Story

Full Story Big Idea: It's Time to Reconnect with the Earth How do we find solace during times of anxiety? For Leslie VonHolten, nature, poetry, and nature writing offer comfort and connection during trying times. Full Story

Full Story Big Idea: How Should We Honor Someone's Military Service? Listening to and engaging with veterans about their military experience is the most meaningful way to thank someone for their service. Full Story

Full Story Big Idea: It's Time to Change the Way We Talk About Poverty An estimated 875,000 Kansans are likely not making ends meet. Rather than place blame on why or how this happened, let's try to understand the real impact that economic insecurity has on our communities and neighbors. Full Story

Full Story Big Idea: It's Time for More Representation in STEM Sarah Lamm studies rocks on Mars as a planetary science PhD candidate. She's frustrated when "no one assumes I'm a scientist" because of her age and gender. She's right. Less than 30 percent of scientists are women. Full Story

Full Story Big Idea: We Need to Elevate Black Women's Stories Can you remember a time you learned about a famous African American woman? Many Kansans cannot come up with an answer readily or easily. Full Story

Full Story Big Idea: It's Time to Change the Way We Talk About Immigrants Too often in the past, information about various immigrant groups shared by the mainstream media relied on harmful stereotypes and played up fears and anxieties. The negative narratives continue today. Full Story

Full Story Changing How We Talk About the Civil Rights Movement Domestic workers, laborers, unemployed youth, public housing tenants and other grassroots foot soldiers – largely working class, female, or both – did the daily work of the Civil Rights Movement. Where are their stories? Full Story

Full Story The Heart of the Matter: The Role of Humanities In 2010, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences created a Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences to address the importance of the humanities in the 21st century. Full Story

Full Story Writing for the Event: Bring Back the Occasional Poem Poet Laureate of Kansas Kevin Rabas makes the case for bringing back the tradition of "occasional poems." Full Story

Big Idea Q&A with Clarence Lang

Clarence Lang, Interim Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Kansas, answered Kansans' questions about his Big Idea: It's time to change how we talk about the Civil Rights Movement.

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