Douglass Community Center and Douglas Annex — Sculpture Unveiling

Sculpture is one of the oldest forms of art and is considered one of the most influential creations of the human imagination because it expresses human emotions and ideas. Many times, sculptures are used to express feelings, to tell a story, to teach, or even to scare. Despite the intent, sculptures speak to each viewer individually and uniquely.

On Tuesday, February 20, Manhattan’s Douglass Community Center and Douglas Annex celebrated history with a remarkable sculpture unveiling event. In front of the Douglas Community Center, 900 Yuma Street, artist Tim Chapman depicted a man and woman adorned in military uniforms. The couple was created in the likeness of Lazone and Mozelle Grays, both service members at Fort Riley and lifelong residents of Manhattan. The Douglas Center served as the USO for African American service members during World War ll. The Grays sculpture will continue to remind us of the history of Yuma Street and the black men and women who served our country.

The Douglas Annex, located directly across the street, was a school for African American children during segregation. The Douglas School was built in 1903 and offered several generations of African American students an education before schools in Kansas were racially integrated. Dave Baker, retired Douglas Center director, attended the school as a child and spoke fondly of memories made there. Detailed sculptures of African American school children now sit on each side of the front door as if to welcome a stroll down memory lane. Chapman used old photographs of the school to create the two statues, a boy and a girl, with their books and satchels.

“These two historic structures are a reflection of pivotal points in time in our nation’s history,” said Adrian Cruz, a member of the Douglass Recreation Complex Board and daughter of Lazone and Mozelle Grays. Cruz was the keynote speaker at the event and was moved to tears upon seeing her parents in statue form.

Funding for the sculptures came from the Lincoln and Dorothy Deihl Endowed Fund, a community foundation with three fundamental priorities: basic human needs, youth, and the arts and humanities. Tim Chapman, the project artist, is based out of Hays, Kansas. His works range from Sculpture and Painting to Woodwork and Metal. 

The Greater Manhattan Community Foundation is proud to have been a small part of this project. We hope readers will visit the sculptures to see the beauty, feel the emotion, and ‘hear’ the story they tell.