HerStory August 2022: Alisha Rai

We are so happy to be sharing this month’s HerStory recipient with y’all. Folks who haven’t yet encountered her, meet Alisha Rai, our internet bestie (in our own minds, heehee).

Rai is a fabulous writer: her Modern Romance trilogy is in almost-constant rotation in our earbuds and kindles. Her earlier books are very spicy, but in everything she writes, there is an inherent sweetness and kindness.

Her Instagram is a true joy to follow, and, if the videos she shares from there are anything to go by, her TikTok must be as well (we have resisted the siren song of that app so far!) She produced a cooking show throughout the pandemic on YouTube (link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyOL0ZfUCiN3BO4ffTwwyXg), and does regular reviews of new Trader Joe’s items on her Instagram. She makes the best crafts and tells the best stories. She really is someone who you follow for a while and think: she could be my bestie. She is also the co-host of one of the sweetest podcasts ever, Lovestruck Daily. It’s a daily dose of love stories, and the perfect thing to binge while crafting.

When she was getting started writing romance (while enjoying a successful career as an attorney), she was told by publishing house after publishing house that because her books centered non-white protagonists, they wouldn’t sell (doesn’t this sound familiar for so many of our HerStory authors this year? It seems like, instead of denying non-white authors places in the publishing schedule, the publishing industry needs to start promoting more non-white folks into executive positions, eh?). So, Rai explored the world of self-publishing, and her book Serving Pleasure was the first self-published book to appear on The Washington Post’s annual list of best books of the year, in 2015. As an outspoken woman on the internet, she has been the victim of the worst kind of trolling for things like speaking up against racism in the romance world and sharing her dating experiences. But she keeps being herself, and sharing herself, and we are so grateful to her for that, because herself is a pretty special person.

Alisha Rai is one of our favorite examples of the best of what modern romance is: inclusive, sex-positive, diverse in both race/culture/background and in sexuality of her characters. Consent is at the center of sexual relationships, and mutual trust and respect are givens. Plus her books are just so darned fun, it’s hard to put them down! 

Our Partners in Crime colorway ins inspired by her upcoming release of the same name (our calendars are marked for October, when it comes out!). 

Books by Alisha Rai:

  • Modern Love Trilogy (The Right Swipe, Girl Gone Viral, & First Comes Like)
  • Forbidden Hearts Trilogy (Hate to Want You, Wrong to Need You, & Hurts to Love You)
  • Hot as Hades
  • Upcoming Partners in Crime (publishing in October!)

Want more like this? Here are some other authors we suggest you read/listen to:

  • Rebekah Witherspoon
  • Tia Williams
  • Courtney Milan
  • Lucy Score
  • Alexis Hall
  • Mia Sosa
  • Jayci Lee

National Parks 2022: Little River Canyon NP

It’s time for the annual National Parks Club/KAL!

Every month from May-August, we’ll be releasing 4 new parks colorways. We have almost exhausted all of the traditional US National Parks, so this year, we’ll be showcasing other National Parks areas, such as National Recreation Areas, Heritage sites, etc. Featured parks will fall under one of 4 categories:

  • National History – Eastern USA
  • National History – Western USA
  • Indigenous Culture
  • Human Rights Leaders/notable people

Check out our Socks and Hats on Vacay/Staycay summertime KAL with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-hats-on-vacay-2022/

Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/parks-2022/

And, to play our new-to-2022 Vacay Bingo game, head in to your participating LYS and grab a gameboard or download it here: https://knittedwit.com/parks-2022/

Where is it located?

On top of Lookout Mountain near Fort Payne, Alabama, and DeSoto State Park in Northeastern Alabama.

Whose land does it reside upon?

It was home to Cherokee and Creek tribes, until they were forced off of their land by the American government and marched on the Trail of Tears.

When was it established?

October 21, 1992

About this park:

Little River is unique because it flows for most of its length atop Lookout Mountain in northeast Alabama. Forested uplands, waterfalls, canyon rims and bluffs, pools, boulders, and sandstone cliffs offer settings for a variety of recreational activities. 

Sometimes called the “Grand Canyon of the East,” the spectacular canyon was carved over thousands of years by Little River. One of the longest rivers in America that flows almost entirely on the top of a mountain, Little River begins at 1,900 feet above sea level and drops over 1,200 feet before it finally merges with the waters of Weiss Lake.

Why did we choose these colors?

We used this photo, a shelf of sandstone that forms Little Falls, a popular swimming hole in the summer and a beautiful setting in the fall.

https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery-item.htm?pg=907598&id=d20a1aeb-a05b-46cc-9b00-a602e20efffc&gid=1315464F-E8FD-40C0-B84E-15E68AF147A0

For more information:

National Parks 2022: Sunset Crater Volcano NM

It’s time for the annual National Parks Club/KAL!

Every month from May-August, we’ll be releasing 4 new parks colorways. We have almost exhausted all of the traditional US National Parks, so this year, we’ll be showcasing other National Parks areas, such as National Recreation Areas, Heritage sites, etc. Featured parks will fall under one of 4 categories:

  • National History – Eastern USA
  • National History – Western USA
  • Indigenous Culture
  • Human Rights Leaders/notable people

Check out our Socks and Hats on Vacay/Staycay summertime KAL with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-hats-on-vacay-2022/

Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/parks-2022/

And, to play our new-to-2022 Vacay Bingo game, head in to your participating LYS and grab a gameboard or download it here: https://knittedwit.com/parks-2022/

Where is it located?

North of Flagstaff, Arizona.

Whose land does it reside upon?

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is located on the traditional lands of the Hopi and Diné people. Many other Indigenous tribes and people have traditional, historical, and spiritual relationships to this land. Traditionally associated tribes include the Fort McDowell Yavapai, the Havasupai, the Hualapai, the Kaibab Band of Paiute, the San Carlos Apache, the San Juan Southern Paiute, the Tonto Apache, the White Mountain Apache, the A:shiwi, and the Yavapai-Apache Nation, as well.

When was it established?

May 26, 1930

About this park:

Currently, Sunset Crater is closed, due to the aftermath of the Tunnel Fire (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnel_Fire_(2022)), which burned for almost 2 months earlier this year.

It is the youngest in a string of around 600 cinder cones in the Flagstaff area. This is a region of intense volcanism that began around 3 million years ago with the formation of a lava dome called Bill Williams Mountain. The San Francisco Peaks began forming soon after that, and over 2 million years they grew into an immense mountain that was probably 16,000 feet (5300 meters) tall – at one time, it was the tallest mountain in the continental US, and the 10th tallest in North America! A thousand years ago the ground was torn open and lava erupted into the sky, forever changing the landscape and the lives of the people who lived here. A thousand years later, trees and flowers grow among the rocks, and people visit the lava flow to see and remember the most recent volcanic eruption in Arizona.

Why did we choose these colors?

We used this stunning image of a sunrise at Sunset Crater as the inspiration for our colorway:

https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery-item.htm?pg=1847695&id=91D45E76-155D-451F-67343D66A147AB61&gid=91D45E11-155D-451F-675AA5F59A32D905

For more information:

National Parks 2022: Freedom Riders NM

It’s time for the annual National Parks Club/KAL!

Every month from May-August, we’ll be releasing 4 new parks colorways. We have almost exhausted all of the traditional US National Parks, so this year, we’ll be showcasing other National Parks areas, such as National Recreation Areas, Heritage sites, etc. Featured parks will fall under one of 4 categories:

  • National History – Eastern USA
  • National History – Western USA
  • Indigenous Culture
  • Human Rights Leaders/notable people

Check out our Socks and Hats on Vacay/Staycay summertime KAL with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-hats-on-vacay-2022/

Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/parks-2022/

And, to play our new-to-2022 Vacay Bingo game, head in to your participating LYS and grab a gameboard or download it here: https://knittedwit.com/parks-2022/

Where is it located?

In Anniston, Alabama, which is in East-Central Alabama, about 65 miles East of Birmingham.

Whose land does it reside upon?

The land where Alabama is located was the ancestral home of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Creek tribes.

When was it established?

January 2017

About this park:

This park was established by President Barack Obama in January 2017 to preserve and commemorate the Freedom Riders during the Civil Rights Movement.

In 1961, a small interracial band of “Freedom Riders” challenged discriminatory laws requiring separation of the races in interstate travel by boarding a bus together. They were attacked by white segregationists, who firebombed the bus. Images of the attack appeared in hundreds of newspapers, shocking the American public and spurring the Federal Government to issue regulations banning segregation in interstate travel.

Through the media, the nation and the world witnessed the violence. Images, like that of a firebombed bus burning outside Anniston, Alabama, shocked the American public and created political pressure, which forced the Federal Government to take steps to ban segregation in interstate bus travel.

Although only thirteen Freedom Riders started the journey, they inspired hundreds of others to join their cause. In the end there were over 400 Freedom Riders. They succeeded in pressing the federal government to act. On May 29, 1961, Attorney General Robert Kennedy petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) to issue regulations banning segregation, and the ICC subsequently decreed that by November 1, 1961, bus carriers and terminals serving interstate travel had to be integrated.

The Freedom Rides and Freedom Riders made substantial gains in the fight for equal access to public accommodations. Federal orders to remove Jim Crow signs on interstate facilities did not change social mores or political institutions overnight, but the Freedom Riders nonetheless struck a powerful blow to racial segregation.

Why did we choose these colors?

As we researched this park, we came across this photo and really enjoyed the colors:

https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery-item.htm?pg=5546357&id=57FF5E6B-1DD8-B71B-0B35DBCD9A6A9C48&gid=56A7D3D8-1DD8-B71B-0BE7F84EC8ED6E66

It’s a photo of one of the Freedom Riders, Ernest “Rip” Patton, Jr. talking to a park ranger at the park.

For more information:

National Parks 2022: Knife River Indigenous Villages NHS

It’s time for the annual National Parks Club/KAL!

Every month from May-August, we’ll be releasing 4 new parks colorways. We have almost exhausted all of the traditional US National Parks, so this year, we’ll be showcasing other National Parks areas, such as National Recreation Areas, Heritage sites, etc. Featured parks will fall under one of 4 categories:

  • National History – Eastern USA
  • National History – Western USA
  • Indigenous Culture
  • Human Rights Leaders/notable people

Check out our Socks and Hats on Vacay/Staycay summertime KAL with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-hats-on-vacay-2022/

Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/parks-2022/

And, to play our new-to-2022 Vacay Bingo game, head in to your participating LYS and grab a gameboard or download it here: https://knittedwit.com/parks-2022/

Where is it located?

In central-ish North Dakota, about 60 miles Northwest of Bismark.

Whose land does it reside upon?

The Knife River region has been home to various peoples for perhaps 11,000 years. Very few objects remain for us to learn about the cultures who lived here, but early written records and large quantities of cultural material document how the Hidatsa lived in earthlodge villages overlooking the Knife and Missouri Rivers for 500 years. They developed a prosperous way of life in harmony with nature and the cycle of the seasons.

The Mandan and Arikara joined the Hidatsa in settled villages south along the Missouri River. Together these three groups pioneered agriculture on the Northern Plains while still hunting bison and gathering wild edibles. Despite their similarities as earthlodge peoples, conflict and competition were not unknown between these three communities.

Tribes from across the Northern Plains journeyed to these permanent villages to trade, socialize, and make war. The Sioux, Cheyenne, Crow, Assiniboine, and Ojibwe, along with white traders, explorers, and artists, made the Knife River Indian Villages an exciting and cosmopolitan place. Foreign visitors also brought new diseases that dramatically altered communities and cultures and led to the end of the traditional lifestyle in the Knife River region.

When was it established?

1974

About this park:

Earthlodge people hunted bison and other game, but were in essence farmers living in villages along the Missouri and its tributaries. The site was a major Native American trade center for hundreds of years prior to becoming an important market place for fur traders after 1750.

Why did we choose these colors?

We used this image of a pair of cloth gloves with beads and leather fringe as our inspiration:

https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery-item.htm?pg=3027810&id=A250E6DA-155D-4519-3E75364835F93A57&gid=A24E452B-155D-4519-3E14A326FD7B28E6

For more information:

HerStory July 2022: Sonali Dev

We are honoring our second (but not last) romance author of the year for our July HerStory recipient: Sonali Dev. First things first, if you have a spare 30 minutes, listen to her keynote address at the 2018 Romance Writers of America Librarian’s Day to see exactly why we chose her (https://soundcloud.com/user-620052388/rwa-2018-librarians-day-keynote-from-sonali-dev?utm_source=sonalidev.com&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=widget&utm_content=https%253A%252F%252Fsoundcloud.com%252Fuser-620052388%252Frwa-2018-librarians-day-keynote-from-sonali-dev). It’s a beautiful speech, inspiring and kind of devastating; we were destroyed by it in the best possible way. She spoke eloquently about the importance of reading and telling stories about folks that are not cis white men, and how important representation is for all groups of people. How important not only telling diverse stories is, but how important READING and OFFERING diverse stories is. That’s the underlying theme here at Knitted Wit HerStory Central: making sure our monthly HerStory recipients are representative of those who historically have not garnered the same praise, attention, and space that their white counterparts have enjoyed as a matter of course.

Not only is Sonali Dev a staunch advocate for diversifying our libraries and bookshelves, but her books are compelling and beautiful and sweet and emotional. The family dramas at the heart of them are complicated and messy and wonderful. The love stories are, well, complicated and messy and wonderful. Growing up in Mumbai, she loved Bollywood from a young age, and even tried her hand at writing Bollywood screenplays. She began her foray into writing romance when she realized that good romance was like good Bollywood: the idea that love can inspire the deepest and best kind of joy and inspire people to, as Dev said, “throw out their arms and sing.”

Dev has two book series currently, both centered around Indian families and both dealing with heavy themes and issues of place and personhood and identity and the intertwining of cultures and how that affects a person’s life trajectory. Her Jane Austin-inspired series follows an Indian-American family that is as rich and complex as any family in literature. The politics of family (and, coincidentally, politics) plague, inspire, and challenge the protagonists, and through the series, the reader gets to know and love each one. Our July colorway is inspired by the title of the 3rd book in the series, Incense and Sensibility. We hope you spend part of your summer getting to know Sonali Dev and her remarkable books.

Books by Sonali Dev:

  • Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors
  • Recipe for Persuasion
  • Incense and Sensibility
  • A Bollywood Affair (and the other 3 Bollywood series books) 

Want more like this? Here are some other authors we suggest you read/listen to:

  • Farah Heron
  • Sajni Patel
  • Farrah Rochon
  • Sandhya Menon
  • Alisha Rai

National Parks 2022: Bering Land Bridge National Preserve

It’s time for the annual National Parks Club/KAL!

Every month from May-August, we’ll be releasing 4 new parks colorways. We have almost exhausted all of the traditional US National Parks, so this year, we’ll be showcasing other National Parks areas, such as National Recreation Areas, Heritage sites, etc. Featured parks will fall under one of 4 categories:

  • National History – Eastern USA
  • National History – Western USA
  • Indigenous Culture
  • Human Rights Leaders/notable people

Check out our Socks and Hats on Vacay/Staycay summertime KAL with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-hats-on-vacay-2022/

Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/parks-2022/

And, to play our new-to-2022 Vacay Bingo game, head in to your participating LYS and grab a gameboard or download it here: https://knittedwit.com/parks-2022/

Where is it located?

Extreme Northwestern Alaska.

Whose land does it reside upon?

From the NPS website: 

“Many of the stories told about Bering Land Bridge National Preserve are focused on its prehistory, but the more recent past and present-day cultural traditions of Northwest Alaska are just as important. Deeply-rooted cultural practices and traditional subsistence hunting and gathering are still a part of everyday life for most Inupiaq communities around the Seward Peninsula. The protection of resources within Bering Land Bridge helps to support these lifestyles, as well as communicate to others the importance of Alaska Native heritage in a holistic context.

Today’s cultural groups of the Seward Peninsula remain closely tied to the ancestors who first crossed over from Siberia, and many still have living relatives on the Asian side of the Bering Strait. Up until European contact in the 19th century, these groups led mobile subsistence lifestyles, moving seasonally with food availability and thriving off the land and the sea.”

When was it established?

December 1, 1978

About this park:

The Bering Land Bridge National Preserve is one of the most remote United States national park areas, located on the Seward Peninsula. The National Preserve protects a remnant of the Bering Land Bridge that connected Asia with North America more than 13,000 years ago during the Pleistocene ice age, that many geologists, paleontologists, and other scientists believe was the path to the population of the americas. 

Why did we choose these colors?

We used this arresting photo from the NPS website to inspire our colorway: https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery-item.htm?pg=910081&id=8A0DBA99-1DD8-B71C-077BDACFF9987549&gid=89EE087B-1DD8-B71C-07C774C245A47537

For more information:

National Parks 2022: Russell Cave National Monument

It’s time for the annual National Parks Club/KAL!

Every month from May-August, we’ll be releasing 4 new parks colorways. We have almost exhausted all of the traditional US National Parks, so this year, we’ll be showcasing other National Parks areas, such as National Recreation Areas, Heritage sites, etc. Featured parks will fall under one of 4 categories:

  • National History – Eastern USA
  • National History – Western USA
  • Indigenous Culture
  • Human Rights Leaders/notable people

Check out our Socks and Hats on Vacay/Staycay summertime KAL with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-hats-on-vacay-2022/

Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/parks-2022/

And, to play our new-to-2022 Vacay Bingo game, head in to your participating LYS and grab a gameboard or download it here: https://knittedwit.com/parks-2022/

Where is it located?

Northeastern Alabama, close to the town of Bridgeport.

Whose land does it reside upon?

As Russell Cave was used for more than 10,000 years by different Indigenous groups in what was now America, there are many peoples whose ancestral lands is here. From the Paleo-Indians of 10,000+ years ago, to the Archaic culture (the first known tool sharpeners) to the Woodland people, who began to farm and develop a more agrarian culture, to the Mississippian culture that were decimated by colonial “exploration,” Russell Cave was an important part of many Indigenous cultures. Today, Cherokee, Muskogee Creek, and Koasati Indians call Northeastern Alabama home. 

When was it established?

May 11, 1961

About this park:

Russell Cave is an archeological site with one of the most complete records of prehistoric cultures in the Southeast. In the 1950s, archeologists uncovered a large quantity of artifacts representing over 10,000 years of use in a single place, from approximately 6500 BCE, the period of earliest-known human settlement in the southeastern United States, to 1650 CE and the period of European colonization. The large entrance made it an attractive shelter for large bands of people, and it is believed to have primarily served as a seasonal winter shelter. The people relied on the surrounding forest to gather produce and hunt for game and fish, stone and game for tools, and wood fuel for fires.

Why did we choose these colors?

We used the images of the lovely pokeweed featured on this Instagram post as our colorway inspiration: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTpG-1kL90L/?utm_medium=copy_link

For more information:

National Parks 2022: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

It’s time for the annual National Parks Club/KAL!

Every month from May-August, we’ll be releasing 4 new parks colorways. We have almost exhausted all of the traditional US National Parks, so this year, we’ll be showcasing other National Parks areas, such as National Recreation Areas, Heritage sites, etc. Featured parks will fall under one of 4 categories:

  • National History – Eastern USA
  • National History – Western USA
  • Indigenous Culture
  • Human Rights Leaders/notable people

Check out our Socks and Hats on Vacay/Staycay summertime KAL with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-hats-on-vacay-2022/

Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/parks-2022/

And, to play our new-to-2022 Vacay Bingo game, head in to your participating LYS and grab a gameboard or download it here: https://knittedwit.com/parks-2022/

Where is it located?

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore comprises a stretch of shoreline and 21 islands at the northern tip of Wisconsin, on Lake Superior.

Whose land does it reside upon?

This area named the Apostle Islands is home for some of the Ojibwe people who live throughout the Great Lakes. According to their written and oral history, the Ojibwe were the original inhabitants of this area. In order to gain the materials they needed to survive, they traveled throughout the islands with their main village being Madeline Island, which is known as Moningwunakauning: “Home of the yellow breasted woodpecker.”

When was it established?

September 26, 1970

About this park:

Twenty-two Apostle Islands lie off the Bayfield Peninsula in Lake Superior, the largest and most pristine of the Great Lakes.The National Lakeshore includes twenty-one of these islands and a 12-mile segment along Wisconsin’s north coast. Colorful Precambrian sandstone eroded into cliff formations, sea caves, and a collection of sandscapes, including sandspits, cuspate forelands, tombolos, a barrier spit, and numerous beaches.

The lakeshore is at the continental northwestern limits of hemlock-white-pine-northern hardwood forest as well as elements of boreal forest. This diversity provides habitat for nesting and migratory birds, and a variety of mammals, amphibians, and fish.

On the mainland, the Lakeshore Trail winds past cliffs and sea caves. Many islands have trails, beaches and marinas. Wildlife includes bald eagles, falcons and black bears. Sand Island and Raspberry Island have 19th-century lighthouses. The Lucerne shipwreck is just off Long Island

Why did we choose these colors?

We used this stunning photo of “The Garage,” which is the largest sea cave found in the park’s mainland unit, for our colorway inspiration:

https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery-item.htm?pg=3147994&id=57D0AD3F-155D-4519-3EB058DD3F2FDABD&gid=57CA185B-155D-4519-3EED76872113D50F

For more information:

National Parks 2022: Nicodemus National Historic Site

It’s time for the annual National Parks Club/KAL!

Every month from May-August, we’ll be releasing 4 new parks colorways. We have almost exhausted all of the traditional US National Parks, so this year, we’ll be showcasing other National Parks areas, such as National Recreation Areas, Heritage sites, etc. Featured parks will fall under one of 4 categories:

  • National History – Eastern USA
  • National History – Western USA
  • Indigenous Culture
  • Human Rights Leaders/notable people

Check out our Socks and Hats on Vacay/Staycay summertime KAL with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-hats-on-vacay-2022/

Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/parks-2022/

And, to play our new-to-2022 Vacay Bingo game, head in to your participating LYS and grab a gameboard or download it here: https://knittedwit.com/parks-2022/

Where is it located?

Northern Kansas.

Whose land does it reside upon?

What is now Kansas is home to many indigenous tribes, including: Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, Kansa, Kiowa, Osage, Pawnee, and Wichita.

When was it established?

November 12, 1996

About this park:

Formerly enslaved African Americans left Kentucky at the end of the of post-Civil War Reconstruction period to experience freedom in the “Promised Land” of Kansas. Nicodemus represents the involvement of African Americans in the westward expansion and settlement of the Great Plains. It is the oldest and only remaining Black settlement west of the Mississippi River. 

The five historic buildings represent the spirit of Nicodemus: church, self government, education, home, and business. They illustrate the individual and collective strength of character and desire for freedom of these early pioneers, who established Nicodemus – one of the oldest and most famous Black towns on the western plains.

On the NPS website, there is a welcome video, and one of the park rangers in the video is a descendant of the original settlers of Nicodemus!

Why did we choose these colors?

We used this beautiful and hopeful photograph of a rainbow east of the Township Hall after a rainstorm during the Emancipation Celebration:

https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery-item.htm?pg=3380931&id=20C8E696-AC52-F898-A1569B7B3AC7172D&gid=C6E6DDB4-BB24-F3E7-51EB33EA0E490E0F

For more information: