The Barton County Historical Society welcomes Prisca Barnes to present on the Dockum Drugstore Sit-In during a free program on Feb. 27.

In 1958, Wichita’s Black students organized and staged a sit-in at Wichita’s Dockum Drugstore, seeking racial equity and an end to segregation. Long denied entry into the city’s movie theaters and restaurants, students exercised their right to peacefully protest over a three-week period at the popular lunch counter. What transpired, how it ended, and the lasting impact it had on race relations in the city is the focus of this talk. More broadly, the talk will explore how these types of protests transformed the struggle for racial equity in America. 

Priscia Barnes is the founder of Storytime Village Inc., a nonprofit organization in Wichita that promotes reading among low-income children and families. She is a passionate advocate for equity in education and literacy.

Admission for this event is free thanks to Humanities Kansas. Doors to the Barton County Historical Society Museum open at 6:30 p.m. and the program will begin at 7 p.m.; light refreshments will be provided. The museum is located at 85 South U.S. 281, just south of the Arkansas River bridge on U.S. 281.