Advancing Descendant Engagement in Nicodemus, Kansas: A Reparative Approach to Preservation and Stewardship

Ashley C. Adams

Policy Brief 2025-2
February, 2025

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Introduction

The story of Nicodemus is central to understanding both African American resilience and the
broader history of the United States. Founded during the Post-Reconstruction era, Nicodemus
offered newly freed African Americans the opportunity to own land, build community, and
shape a future defined by freedom and self-determination. At its height, the town thrived as a
hub of Black culture, faith, and economic activity.

Yet, like many historic Black communities, Nicodemus has faced systemic neglect. Preservation
resources have been limited, official recognition has not guaranteed equitable investment, and
descendant voices have too often been sidelined in decisions that directly affect their heritage.
The challenges in Nicodemus reflect broader national patterns of underinvestment in Black
historic sites and the ongoing erasure of African American contributions from public memory.

Against this backdrop, the Nicodemus Genealogy Engagement Project was developed to center
descendant voices in shaping the future of preservation. By conducting surveys and focus
groups, and by introducing the Nicodemus Rubric, this project affirms that reparative
preservation must be led by descendants themselves. The lessons from Nicodemus provide not
only a roadmap for local action but also a model that can be adapted across other historic Black
locations and descendant communities worldwide.

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Summary

Nicodemus, Kansas, founded in 1877 by formerly enslaved African Americans, remains one of the
last surviving historic Black towns west of the Mississippi River. It stands as a national symbol of
Black resilience, vision, and community self-determination. Despite its recognition as a National
Historic Site, Nicodemus continues to face structural inequities. These include
underrepresentation in preservation systems, limited descendant participation, and fragile
infrastructure.

To address these challenges, the Nicodemus Historical Society launched the Nicodemus
Genealogy Engagement Project. The project was led by Dr. Ashley Adams, a descendant and Board
President. Through surveys and focus groups with over 35 descendants across 13 states, the project
documented descendant priorities and introduced a new evaluative framework: the Nicodemus
Rubric for Descendant Engagement.

Findings highlight descendants’ desire for stronger involvement in preservation, increased digital
access to genealogical archives, sustained investment in infrastructure, and opportunities for youth
and intergenerational engagement. The Nicodemus Rubric provides a roadmap for equitable,
reparative, descendant-led stewardship that can be adapted across other historic Black towns.

Recommendations include:
● Strengthening Descendant Leadership
● Sustainable Investment
● Digital Access and Technology
● Educational and Intergenerational Engagement
● Cross-Community Partnership

By advancing descendant-centered strategies, the Nicodemus Rubric affirms that historic
preservation is not only about protecting physical sites. It is also a tool for justice, cultural healing,
and collective memory.

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Key Findings 

Preservation Gaps

• Black historic sites remain underfunded and underrepresented in national preservation systems.
• Descendant voices are largely absent from formal decision-making processes.
• Limited services, building disrepair, and insufficient archival space weaken visitor and
  community engagement.

Descendant Priorities

• Strong desire for expanded genealogical research tools and digitized archives.
• Emphasis on cultural pride, family connection, and narrative justice.
• Calls for more youth leadership pathways and sustained intergenerational involvement.

Barriers Identified

• Poor coordination across organizations and limited unification of the descendant network.
• Inadequate physical infrastructure, services, and accommodations at annual gatherings.
• Technology and digital ethics underdeveloped, with no centralized platform for data access and
  governance.

Opportunities for Action

• Develop a digital genealogy database to strengthen descendant connections nationwide.
• Expand youth programming through storytelling, fellowships, and educational initiatives.
• Formalize partnerships with Indigenous communities to acknowledge shared land histories.
• Apply the Nicodemus Rubric as a scalable model for other descendant-led preservation projects.

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Recommendations

Strengthening Descendant Leadership

Formalize governance structures such as advisory councils and shared authority agreements. Ensure descendants hold meaningful decision-making roles in planning, preservation, and evaluation processes.

Sustainable Investment

Direct resources equitably and transparently. Fund long-term infrastructure, archival facilities, and visitor services to support both preservation and community vitality. Prioritize funding strategies co-designed with descendants.

Digital Access and Technology

Create a centralized, descendant-governed genealogy database. Co-develop ethical guidelines for digitization that ensure consent, transparency, and cultural representation in all archival and AI-based practices.

Education and Intergenerational Engagement

Launch youth heritage fellowships, storytelling apprenticeships, and curriculum partnerships that
embed Nicodemus history into schools and community programming. Cultivate leadership
among younger generations to ensure continuity.

Cross-Community Partnerships

Deepen collaboration with Indigenous communities through co-created interpretive content, land
acknowledgments, and shared stewardship models. Build alliances with local, state, and national
reparations initiatives.

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Policy and Implementation Implications

The Nicodemus Rubric offers a practical evaluative tool for descendant-centered preservation.
Grounded in equity, cultural healing, and sustainability, the rubric aligns with:

• The American Public Health Association’s recognition of racism as a public health crisis, which
  reinforces preservation as a public health strategy.
• The United Nations reparations framework, particularly its principles of truthtelling and
  guarantees of non-repetition.
• The growing U.S. reparations movement, which calls for descendant-led governance, inclusive
  interpretation, and reparative investment.
  By embedding these principles into preservation practice, the Nicodemus Rubric transforms
  historic preservation into an act of justice and community wellness.

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Conclusion

Nicodemus tells a vital story of freedom, resilience, and vision. Today, its descendants continue to safeguard this legacy against systemic erasure and underinvestment. The Nicodemus Rubric for Descendant Engagement provides a framework for reparative preservation that uplifts descendant voices, strengthens intergenerational continuity, and advances cultural healing.

Preserving Nicodemus is not just about one town. It is about reshaping national public memory and ensuring that African American history is fully honored within America’s story. The lessons from Nicodemus demonstrate that when descendants lead, preservation becomes a pathway to justice.