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When Phyllis Bass was young in the 1930s, black girls received white dolls to play with for Christmas.
“We had to play with white dolls all the time, and then when they did start to make (black dolls), they were ugly,” Bass said.
The director of the Richard Allen Cultural Center, 412 Kiowa St., teaches children of all races about their cultural heritage. As part of that tradition, Bass and volunteers at the center put together a display, “Christmas through the Eyes of a Child,” which will run through the first week of January. Christmas decorations throughout the center will be on display until early January.
“We’d love for kids to come and see it because it’s so much fun,” Bass said.
The Christmas display includes a homemade gingerbread landscape, a 1954 Murray Firetruck (a pedal model) several toy train sets and Bass’ own “Black Santa” collection. A few of the items’ are from Bass’ own friends and family, others were donated from friends of the center. Hallmark Cards donated ornaments for one of the Christmas trees. Another tree is decorated with African-themed animals and artwork.
Although the display is only up for a few more weeks, the center itself is open year round. It is named for the 18th century founder of the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Richard Allen. The cultural center is an annex to an original home of two black soldiers. Community members renovated the home and added 1920s-style decorations. Throughout the center, the Mary Everhard photographs depict rural black people that lived in the Leavenworth area during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Bass said photographs of these real people are in stark contrast to the first crude toys that depicted black children. It wasn’t until the Civil Rights era and the 1960s that toys began to characterize more attractive features of her race.
Janice Lane, who volunteers at the center, said that is one of the common year-round themes of the Richard Allen Cultural Center — to teach young people, especially black people, about their proud heritage in Kansas. At the center, children can see photos and models of the first black soldiers to serve in the U.S. military, often called the buffalo soldiers.
“The children will learn history that’s not taught in the history books,” Lane said.
The center has an after-school tutoring program for children of all races and a character enrichment program in the summer.
Bass said while school is not in session, the center is open 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. When school resumes Jan. 4, the center will resume its regular hours 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. For more information, call the Richard Allen Cultural Center, 913-682-8772.
When Phyllis Bass was young in the 1930s, black girls received white dolls to play with for Christmas.
“We had to play with white dolls all the time, and then when they did start to make (black dolls), they were ugly,” Bass said.
The director of the Richard Allen Cultural Center, 412 Kiowa St., teaches children of all races about their cultural heritage. As part of that tradition, Bass and volunteers at the center put together a display, “Christmas through the Eyes of a Child,” which will run through the first week of January. Christmas decorations throughout the center will be on display until early January.
“We’d love for kids to come and see it because it’s so much fun,” Bass said.
The Christmas display includes a homemade gingerbread landscape, a 1954 Murray Firetruck (a pedal model) several toy train sets and Bass’ own “Black Santa” collection. A few of the items’ are from Bass’ own friends and family, others were donated from friends of the center. Hallmark Cards donated ornaments for one of the Christmas trees. Another tree is decorated with African-themed animals and artwork.
Although the display is only up for a few more weeks, the center itself is open year round. It is named for the 18th century founder of the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Richard Allen. The cultural center is an annex to an original home of two black soldiers. Community members renovated the home and added 1920s-style decorations. Throughout the center, the Mary Everhard photographs depict rural black people that lived in the Leavenworth area during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Bass said photographs of these real people are in stark contrast to the first crude toys that depicted black children. It wasn’t until the Civil Rights era and the 1960s that toys began to characterize more attractive features of her race.
Janice Lane, who volunteers at the center, said that is one of the common year-round themes of the Richard Allen Cultural Center — to teach young people, especially black people, about their proud heritage in Kansas. At the center, children can see photos and models of the first black soldiers to serve in the U.S. military, often called the buffalo soldiers.
“The children will learn history that’s not taught in the history books,” Lane said.
The center has an after-school tutoring program for children of all races and a character enrichment program in the summer.
Bass said while school is not in session, the center is open 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. When school resumes Jan. 4, the center will resume its regular hours 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. For more information, call the Richard Allen Cultural Center, 913-682-8772.
