VIRTUAL LUNCH & LEARN ~ Guest Speaker DR. Carmaletta Williams

“Free Did Not Mean Welcome”
Presentation Explores Emancipated African Americans’ “Free State” Experiences and Systemic Racism that stills exists in today’s world. Guest Speaker: Dr. Carmaletta Williams.
Millions of African Americans walked away from the South after Emancipation looking for freedom. For some, it meant a journey to Kansas, a “free state.” Discover how many realized that for Black people in Kansas “Free” did not necessarily mean “Welcome.” Also, learn more about “Systemic Racism” that still exists in today’s world and what we can do to help to eliminate it. Carmaletta Williams is a former professor of English and African American Studies at Johnson County Community College. She is now the Executive Director of The Black Archives of Mid-America. “Free Did Not Mean Welcome” is part of Humanities Kansas’s Movement of Ideas Speakers Bureau, featuring presentations and workshops designed to share stories that inspire, spark conversations that inform, and generate insights that strengthen civic engagement.