Topeka is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 127,473.
Topeka means "to dig good potatoes" in the languages of the Kansa and the Ioway. The potato referred to is the prairie potato, a perennial herb which is an important food for many Native Americans.
History 19th century
After a decade of abolitionist and pro-slavery conflict that gave the territory the nickname Bleeding Kansas, Kansas was admitted to the Union in 1861 as the 34th state. Topeka was finally chosen as the capital.
Although the drought of 1860 and the ensuing period of the Civil War slowed the growth of Topeka and the state, Topeka kept pace with the revival and period of growth that Kansas enjoyed from the close of the war in 1865 until 1870. In the 1870s, many former slaves known as Exodusters, settled on the east side of Lincoln Street between Munson and Twelfth Streets. The area was known as Tennessee Town because so many of them were from that state. The first African American Kindergarten west of the Mississippi was organized in Tennessee Town by Dr. Charles Sheldon, pastor of the Central Congregational Church in 1893.
20th century
Home to the first African-American kindergarten west of the Mississippi River, Topeka became the home of Linda Brown, the named plaintiff in Brown v. Board of Education which was the case responsible for eliminating the standard of "separate but equal", and requiring racial integration in American public schools.
Monroe Elementary, a segregated school that figured in the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision, is now Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site with interpretive exhibits. The National Historic Site was opened by President George W. Bush on May 17, 2004.
Topeka has struggled with the burden of racial discrimination even after Brown. New lawsuits attempted unsuccessfully to force suburban school districts that ring the city to participate in racial integration with the inner city district. In the late 1980s a group of citizens calling themselves the Task Force to Overcome Racism in Topeka formed to address the problem in a more organized way.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,928, and the median income for a family was $45,803. Males had a median income of $32,373 versus $25,633 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,555. About 8.5% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Being the state's capital city, Topeka's largest employer is the State of Kansas—employing about 8,400 people, or 69% of the city's government workers. Altogether, government workers make up one out of every five employed persons in the city The educational, health and social services industry makes up the largest proportion of the working population (22.4%). The four school districts employ nearly 4,700 people, and Washburn University employs about 1,650. Three of the largest employers are Stormont-Vail HealthCare (with about 3,100 employees), St. Francis Health Center (1,800), and Colmery-O'Neil VA Hospital (900).
Radio Stations
KGLV 88.9 FM Manhattan, KS Christian Contemporary
KCHZ 95.7 FM Ottawa, KS Top-40
WIBW 580 AM Topeka, KS News/Talk
KLWN 1320 AM Lawrence, KS Sports
KMAJ 1440 AM Topeka, KS News/Talk
Because Hispanics could be counted in other races, the totals above could possibly be more than 100%. If you would like a detailed listing of all ethnic groups in the U.S., please Click Here.
A small percentage of the businesses listed on BlackCityInfo.com may not necessarily be black owned and operated but have received favorable reviews from users who have visited the establishment, or from the owners themselves who warmly seek out African American patronage.
BEAUTY CARE - BLACK HAIR SALONS - MULTICULTURAL
Larry's Hair Care & Designs - Category: Black Barber - (785) 235-9005 - (visit website)
Latonya Beauty Salon - Category: Hair Salon - 736 Southwest Gage Boulevard
Topeka, KS 66606 (785) 233-9000
Maasai Braids and Gift Shop - Category: Black Hair Salon - (785) 228-1196
- (visit website)
Nails by Lawanna - Category: Nail Salon - 2101 Northwest Lower Silver Lake Road Topeka, KS 66441 (785) 235-6414
BLACK BUSINESSES - SERVICES - VENDORS ETC.
Kansas African American Affairs Commission - Category: Information Retrieval Services - 900 SW Jackson Street # 101A Topeka, KS 66612-1220 (785) 296-4874 - (visit website)
DINING - CATERING
A & J Soul Food - Category: Soul Food Restaurants - 1221 SW Huntoon St. Topeka, KS 66604
Big T's Cajun Restaurant - Category: Cajun Restaurants - 1001 Se Quincy St, Topeka, KS (785) 354-1474
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