The Walker School Project

The building that stands today as the Philadelphia Baptist Church in Merriam, Kansas was once known as the Madam C.J. Walker School, a site that is deeply connected to the history that stands within the South Park community. Originally established in the late 1800's as a part of Johnson County School District No. 90, the school was originally open to both black and white students. However, by the early 20th century segregation would take a hold, black students were left in the deteriorating  Walker School while white students attended the newly built South Park Elementary. In 1948 black families had enough and organized the "Walker Walkouts" and filed "Webb v. School District No. 90" a court case that would go on to successfully challenge segregation within local schools. Their victory, which was decided by the Kansas Supreme Court, made Merriam of the first communities to desegregate and paved the way for "Brown v. Board of Education". Today the building still stands, used as both a place of worship and a lasting symbol of resilience, faith, and grassroots civil rights activism. 

Your support helps preserve this meaningful piece of Merriam history for future generations—any contribution, big or small, makes a lasting difference.

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