Brought to Mid-Missouri to serve as slaves but rising up to proudly serve the community as leaders, African Americans have made an indelible contribution to the region. Join historian Rose M. Nolen for the story of some of the most remarkable characters and institutions to come out of Columbia and Sedalia. Allow yourself to be drawn in by authors like Chester Himes and ragtime legends like Scott Joplin and to be inspired by educators like C.C. Hubbard and innovators like Tom Bass. Or link arms with some George R. Smith alumni and let loose a rousing rendition of the college yell from one of the best schools on the prairie.

Rose M. Nolen is an author and award-winning columnist. She is the author of Hoecakes, Hambone and all that Jazz, the story of the customs and traditions of African Americans in Missouri. In 1989, as a columnist for the Columbia Daily Tribune, she was named by the Missouri Press Association as the state's best columnist. For several years, she edited and published Mid-Missouri Black Watch, a quarterly newsletter serving African American communities. In 2003, she was a recipient of the Governor's Humanities Award for excellence in community heritage. She currently writes columns for the Columbia Missourian and the Sedalia Democrat Times.