Yuma Street Cultural Festival Celebrates Community and Heritage
MANHATTAN, Kan. (WIBW) – Yuma Street held its second annual cultural festival Saturday, celebrating with live music, dance, and educational activities throughout the day.
Preserving History
Sheila Ellis Glasper, the festival’s creator, aims to honor the legacy of Yuma Street, a historically Black district. “We just got a whole block party going on here; a lot of great food, great music, and great community connection,” she said, emphasizing the importance of making history accessible and enjoyable for youth.
Dancing and Unity
The festival showcased lively two-step and soul-line dancing, along with fraternity and sorority strolling. Linda Murphy Maina, owner of ‘Linda’s Afrikan Kreations,’ described the atmosphere: “The energy has been upbeat, the music has been uplifting, the music makes you want to dance a little.”
Networking for Entrepreneurs
Local business owners, including Maina, seized the opportunity to connect and network with each other, highlighting the often isolating journey of entrepreneurship. “When you find another entrepreneur that you can connect with, you can talk about your journey,” Maina remarked.
Bridging Cultures
Ellis Glasper noted the impressive gathering of diverse individuals. “To be able to see all different people from all different backgrounds come together on this one block on Labor Day weekend, it’s just pretty amazing,” she said. Maina added, “This is community, this is what it looks like, and this is what we want to continue to do.”
Cultural Center on the Horizon
Looking ahead, the Yuma Street Cultural Center is set to begin construction next week, aimed at preserving and educating visitors about the neighborhood’s history, with an expected completion in the fall of next year.
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