Monday, January 17th, 2022, from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center

FREE Attendance

Lunch provided by Luther’s BBQ (visitors may bring their own lunch)

Drinks and desserts provided by Great Western Dining

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Lunch &  Learn

“Dockum Drugstore Sit-In”

Presentation: Explores Wichita’s Dockum Drugstore Sit-In

Guest Speaker: Prisca Barnes

In July 1958, Black Students gathered at Wichita’s Dockum Drugstore to stage a peaceful protest against the unequal practice of segregation. Although this protest was not publicized in the newspapers in 1958, the students participating in the demonstration worked to gain access to public spaces, like movie theaters and restaurants. This presentation discusses the details of the sit-in, explores how these protests helped transform the struggle for racial equality, and considers contemporary non-violent protests.

Prisca Barnes is the founder of Storytime Village, Inc., a nonprofit organization in Wichita that promotes reading among low-income children and families. She is a passionate advocate for equity in education and literacy.

“The Dockum Drugstore Sit-In” is part of Humanities Kansas’s Movement of Ideas Speakers Bureau, featuring presentations and workshops designed to share stories that inspire, spark conversations that inform, and generate insights that strengthen civic engagement.

For more information about “The Dockum Drugstore Sit-In” contact the Gordon Parks Museum at

(620) 223-2700 ext. 5850 or visit http://www.gordonparkscenter.org/.