"Come, Drink, All Who Thirst For Freedom: The Water Fountain Will No Longer Separate Us As A People."
During the Civil War Era, one of every four Clay County residents was of African descent, although sold in slave auctions & denied inalienable rights, these stalwart men & women helped build homes. churches, roads, schools, & businesses. Along with the planters & farmers, African Americans helped produce the cash crops of grain, hemp, & tobacco that were the foundation of early Clay County wealth.
This monument commemorates African American contributions to Clay County first in slavery & later in freedom. We honor these men & women who rose to become distinguished residents, politicians, educators, & business & civil leaders. We proudly recognize them for their work in the development of the northland into the pinnacle of success it holds in the greater Kansas City Metroplex.
Clay County African American Legacy Consortium
Officers Ruth Emery, Chairperson
A.J. Byrd, vice chairperson
Nukrisha Lee, secretary
Kenneth E. Robinson, treasurer
Dr. Cecelia A. Robinson, Historian
The Board
Theresa Byrd, Herbert Ellett, Sam Houston, Rev. R. E. Miller, Charli Seitz, Bob Shettles, Sara Jo Shettles
Loading contexts...
