Their goal is to restore Shepard’s Chapel, a historic Black church, and transform it into a cultural center.

Nationwide — Amid a national surge in efforts to erase marginalized histories and undermine cultural inclusion, one Kansas-based nonprofit is taking a bold stand for visibility, truth, and empowerment. The Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills (BEFH) has partnered with the local Black community and other nonprofit organizations to raise $1.7 million to restore a historic church in the city of Manhattan and transform the building into the Yuma Street Cultural Center (YSCC). The transformative initiative is reclaiming historically segregated spaces and restoring them as vibrant hubs of cultural pride, entrepreneurship, and economic independence.

Yuma Street carries deep historical significance. It was once listed in the Green Book, guiding Black travelers to safe stops in an era of segregation. The area hosted Negro Baseball League games, welcomed a rare wartime performance by Lena Horne for Black soldiers stationed at Fort Riley, and was a gathering place for Black servicemen and women—including icons Jackie Robinson and Joe Louis, who were both stationed at Fort Riley and frequently visited the Douglass USO during their time there. In the decades that followed, urban renewal and increased housing choice drew many Black families and businesses away from Yuma Street. While this mobility was a sign of progress, it also left the area’s once-strong cultural heartbeat diminished. The Yuma Street Cultural Center seeks to rekindle that spirit—reclaiming its place as a gathering space and source of pride for the community.

It was also home to Earl Woods, father of golf legend Tiger Woods, whose family was among Manhattan’s first Black residents post-slavery. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited Yuma Street during his final university tour—further cementing its role as a living archive of Black excellence, resistance, and community.

This project is being brought to life by BEFH in partnership with Dave and Sonya Baker, longtime residents and visionaries whose stewardship of Yuma Street’s legacy laid the foundation for the center’s vision and national historic registry status. Coach Dave Baker also made national history as the first Black head baseball coach at a predominantly white university, a legacy that underscores the leadership, excellence, and perseverance embedded in this work.

Why It Matters—A National Context

• Entrepreneurship Disparities: Black Americans make up 14.4% of the U.S. population but own only about 3.3% of employer businesses—those that create jobs and build generational wealth.

• Access to Capital: Though Black entrepreneurs represent nearly 14% of small business owners, they receive less than 1% of venture capital funding.

• Wealth Inequality: The median net worth for Black households is just $44,900, compared to $285,000 for White households. Over 70% of Black and Hispanic households don’t have enough liquid assets to cover basic expenses for three months.

• Cultural Threats: Across the country, cultural institutions that uplift marginalized voices are facing funding cuts and political interference—an erosion of memory and identity.

What the Yuma Street Cultural Center Will Do

• Reclaim Yuma Street’s legacy by transforming it into a cultural, historical, and entrepreneurial hub

• Establish a business innovation center, rotating restaurant, commercial kitchen, and venue space

•Preserve Exoduster history, Black pioneers and trailblazers in athletics, leadership, and entrepreneurship, and community stories through archival exhibits and art installations

“Reclaim & Rise” Campaign: A National Call

“We’re standing for equity, visibility, and community wealth,” says Sheila Ellis‑Glasper, Executive Director of BEFH. “Across America, Black history and Black-owned businesses are under-resourced and overlooked. We’re changing that—right here in Manhattan—turning past exclusion into future opportunity.”

The “Reclaim & Rise” campaign invites people from all backgrounds to support this vital work—preserving Black legacy, equitable economic mobility, and investing in a future centered on truth and equity.

Learn more and support the campaign at www.yumastreet.org

About Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills (BEFH)
Based in Manhattan, Kansas, BEFH’s mission is to narrow the racial wealth gap by engaging, empowering, and equipping entrepreneurs with culturally responsive business training, technical assistance, access to capital, and community-building resources.

For press inquiries, contact Sheila Ellis-Glasper, Executive Director, BEFH, at engage@blackflinthills.com