Humanities Kansas

09/03/2026

The Dalton Gang—brothers Bob, Grat, and Emmett Dalton, Bill Powers, and Dick Broadwell—rode into Coffeyville on the morning of October 5, 1892, ready to carry out their boldest scheme yet: robbing two banks simultaneously. The outlaws had already built a fearsome reputation across southern Kansas and into Oklahoma and Indian territories through a string of train and bank robberies, but nothing they'd attempted matched the scale of this job. As they entered town that morning, they believed they had accounted for every variable. They hadn’t. They missed one very important detail: the resolve of Coffeyville's own citizens. What transpired that day has come to define Coffeyville’s spirit and is the subject of the Coffeyville Public Library’s new digital archive project supported by an HK Culture Preservation grant. Learn more on the Kansas Stories blog: https://tinyurl.com/HKStoriesCoffeyvilleDefenders

08/31/2026

Join the Movement of Ideas this week!

💡 You can see "Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy” at these locations:
Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum , Abilene
Hays Public Library
Kansas Historical Society, Topeka
Onaga Historical Society
Park City Senior Center
Pratt County Historical Society
Wellsville Public Library

💡September 6 at Coronado Quivira Museum – Travis Lamb leads a “Declaration Conversation” reading and discussion of the Declaration of Independence.

💡September 6 at UU Fellowship of Manhattan, KS – Gene Chávez talks about “Flour Power/El Poder De La Harina.” Sponsored by Wyandotte County Historical Museum.

💡September 6 at Jetmore Public Library – Erika Nelson presents “What a Ride! Rural Community-Owned Carnivals.”

Contact community hosts directly with questions about the events.

Explore more events on HK’s Calendar of Events: https://www.humanitieskansas.org/events

08/24/2026

Join the Movement of Ideas this week!

💡 You can see "Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy” at these locations:
Burlington Branch - Coffey County Library
Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas, Lawrence
Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Abilene
Gardner Historical Museum
Geary County Historical Society and Museums, Junction City
Hays Public Library
Kansas Historical Society , Topeka
Rice County Historical Society, Lyons

💡August 25 at Hays Public Library – Tonia Compton leads a “Declaration Conversation” reading and discussion of the Declaration of Independence.

💡August 26 Online – Ann Dean presents “Learning from Gordon Parks.” Sponsored by the Independence Public Library. https://tinyurl.com/IndySBParks

💡August 26 at Wyandotte County Fairgrounds in Bonner Springs – Gene Chávez talks about “Flour Power/El Poder De La Harina.” Sponsored by Wyandotte County Historical Museum.

💡August 27 at Watkins Museum of History in Lawrence – Jancita Warrington presents “Native American Ribbonwork Traditions.”

💡August 27 at Wellington Public Library – Adam Hodge looks at “Kansas 1776: A Dynamic Landscape.”

💡August 30 at UU Fellowship of Manhattan Kansas – Valerie Mendoza discusses “Beyond Brown: Mexican Struggles for Equality Before and After Brown V. Board.”

Contact community hosts directly with questions about the events.

Explore more events on HK’s Calendar of Events: https://www.humanitieskansas.org/events

08/17/2026

This year, Kansas communities have hosted "Kansas Folklife: Celebrating Kansas Traditions” as part of "By the People: Beyond 250," a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils across the nation in collaboration with local partners. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. The "Kansas Folklife" catalog of presenters was created for Kansas by Humanities Kansas.

Read more about this nationwide project: https://tinyurl.com/SIHKByThePeople

For the first time, humanities councils have partnered with the Smithsonian on a single initiative engaging communities across the country.

08/17/2026

Join the Movement of Ideas this week!

💡 You can see "Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy” at these locations:
Burlington Branch - Coffey County Library
Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas, Lawrence
Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Abilene
Gardner Historical Museum
Geary County Historical Society and Museums, Junction City
Hays Public Library
Kansas Historical Society, Topeka
Rice County Historical Society/Coronado Quivira, Lyons

💡August 18 at Santa Marta in Olathe – Ron Wilson discusses “Ridin' Trails and Writin' Rhymes: Cowboy Culture of Kansas.”

💡August 19 at Dodge City Community College Library – Ayako Mizumura presents “The Art of Tea: Harmony and Home in Kansas.”

💡August 22 at First United Methodist Church in Lawrence – Donna Rae Pearson talks about “The Taste of Freedom: A Juneteenth Foodways Journey.”

💡August 22 at Westlink Branch Library in Wichita – Derrick Doty presents “Kansas Music History.”

💡Call for Speakers for Speakers Bureau deadline is August 28: https://tinyurl.com/HKJoinSB

Contact community hosts directly with questions about the events.

Explore more events on HK’s Calendar of Events: https://www.humanitieskansas.org/events

08/11/2026

Exciting news! "Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy" is on display through August 30 in the following locations:

Burlington Branch - Coffey County Library
Gardner Historical Museum
Geary County Historical Society and Museums, Junction City
Coronado Quivira/Rice County Historical Society, Lyons

When the Declaration of Independence was issued, the idea that “all men are created equal” was revolutionary. With this seminal document, the Founding Fathers unleashed an open-ended driving force that would shape modern history. Around the world, other countries have declared independence taking the US Declaration of 1776 as a model. This exhibition uses primary sources to illustrate how Americans and people across the world have been inspired by the Declaration in their pursuit of equality and self-determination. In addition to the national exhibition, visitors will also have an opportunity to see a special exhibit panel on “Kansas” in 1776.

Declaration at 250 is sponsored in part by the State of Kansas through the Kansas Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts and the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund.

Learn more and plan your visit: https://tinyurl.com/HKDeclaration250

08/10/2026

Join the Movement of Ideas this week!

💡 You can see "Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy” at these locations:
Burlington Branch - Coffey County Library
Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas, Lawrence
Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Abilene
Gardner Historical Museum
Geary County Historical Society and Museums, Junction City
Hays Public Library
Kansas Historical Society , Topeka
Rice County Historical Society, Lyons

💡August 10 at Oakley Public Library – Kim Stanley presents “A Creative Guide to Writing Your Family’s Stories.”

💡August 13 at Monticello United Methodist Church in Shawnee – Ayako Mizumura talks about “Voices of Japanese 'War Brides' in Postwar Kansas.” Sponsored by Monticello Community Historical Society.

💡August 15 at the WPA Band Shell in Barnes – Ron Wilson discusses “Ridin' Trails and Writin' Rhymes: Cowboy Culture of Kansas.” Sponsored by Barnes Community Development Corp.

💡Call for Speakers for Speakers Bureau deadline is August 28: https://tinyurl.com/HKJoinSB

Contact community hosts directly with questions about the events.

Explore more events on HK’s Calendar of Events: https://www.humanitieskansas.org/events

08/06/2026

Thank you Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area, Inc.! FFNHA recently awarded Humanities Kansas a Heritage grant to support Speakers Bureau history presentations exploring the enduring struggle for freedom through the lens of Kansas history and American democracy in 2026 and 2027. FFNHA’s support keeps HK's moving of ideas going with presentations and discussions that strengthen Kansas communities, our nation’s democracy, and connections among Kansans.

Learn more about HK’s Speakers Bureau here: https://tinyurl.com/HKSpeakersBur

08/04/2026

Citizen historians at the Lucas Senior Center are hot on the trail of a history mystery. Thanks to a 2025 HK Culture Preservation Grant, they are working with the S.P. Dinsmoor Garden of Eden to research the people who visited the site in the early 1900s, based on historic guestbooks and photos. It’s a regular “Thursday History Club!” Read more about the project on the Kansas Story Blog: https://tinyurl.com/HKThursdayHistory

08/03/2026

Join the Movement of Ideas this week!

💡 You can see "Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy” at these locations:
Burlington Branch - Coffey County Library
Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas, Lawrence
Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Abilene
Gardner Historical Museum
Geary County Historical Society and Museums, Junction City
Hays Public Library
Kansas Historical Society, Topeka
Rice County Historical Society, Lyons

💡August 7 at Hays Public Library – “Declaration Conversation” reading and discussion of the Declaration of Independence

💡August 8 at Wamego Public Library – Gene Chávez presents “Flour Power."

Contact community hosts directly with questions about the events.

Explore more events on HK’s Calendar of Events: https://www.humanitieskansas.org/events