TJ Crowley Included in ‘Redline 101 Exhibit’ at Shocker Neighborhood’s Open Streets ICT
WICHITA, Kan. -- The new "Redline 101" exhibit will premiere at Sunday's Open Streets ICT Shocker Neighborhood event, bringing attention to a barrier of racial discrimination that limited access to housing for African Americans and others in northeast Wichita and around the nation.
The community-building event, sponsored by Wichita Park and Recreation, will give the public access to biking, running, walking and visiting vendors and food trucks on a closed two-mile stretch of 17th Street between Oliver and Volutsia.
This is one of panels of the Redline 101 Exhibit that bring awareness to the barrier of discrimination that limited access to housing for African Americans in northeast Wichita. This exhibit is a local version of the nationally acclaimed "Undesign the Redline" exhibit, will include “The Real Education of TJ Crowley” a historical novel by Grant Overstake which is set on the Redline in 1968, one of the most volatile periods in American history.
The new Redline 101 Exhibit is a local version of the nationally acclaimed "Undesign the Redline" interactive exhibit, will shed light on the social impact of civil rights on adults and teens on both sides during one of the most racially segregated periods in America.
The new exhibit includes the historical young adult novel, “The Real Education of TJ Crowley'“ by Wichita author Grant Overstake, and set in northeast Wichita in 1968. This novel is a timely and important addition to the exhibit, exploring the detrimental effects of redlining and how it continues to impact communities of color today.
Set in the shadow of Wichita State University’s campus, The Real Education of TJ Crowley is a work of historical fiction depicting actual events and real people who lived on both sides of the redline at a time when Wichita was among the most racially segregated cities in the nation.
The story takes place during the volatile time that followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the enactment of the Fair Housing Act. The new law of the land was intended to open up previously segregated neighborhoods to Black residents. However, the journey for Black residents to cross the redline and purchase homes in formerly all-white neighborhoods in northeast Wichita was fraught with obstacles, danger, and resistance.
Dr. Jay Price, Department Chair & Professor of Local and Community History at Wichita State University, recommended TJ Crowley as a worthy addition to the exhibit, which was coordinated by Naquela Pack, Director of Engagement at WSU. The novel has been incorporated into Wichita State University's History of Wichita and Racial Profiling courses and the Wichita Public Library's Candid Conversations on Race Book Club. The exhibit is likely to become a permanent addition at The Kansas African American Museum, preserving local history.
Visitors to the exhibit will have the opportunity to listen to scenes from the novel's full-cast radio theater adaptation, funded by the Kansas Creative Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts, and share their own stories electronically.
The Redline 101 exhibit is part of Open Streets ICT, a community-wide event promoting active transportation, community engagement, and healthy living. Participants of all ages can bike, walk, run, and engage in various physical activities on two miles of 17th Street from Oliver to Grove, which will be closed to traffic. Additionally, food trucks, music, and other fun activities, including participating shops, businesses, and food vendors, will be available along the route.
Participants can also enjoy additional activities at Fairmount Park by following the south route on Yale or visiting Atwater Neighborhood Resource Center by following the north route on Volutsia.
We encourage everyone to attend the Redline 101 exhibit and Open Streets ICT Shocker Neighborhood event to learn about the Redline and how it has impacted our community.
