Garrison Cultural Center is the last standing Civil Rights educational monument in Clay County. Established in 1877 as the first county school for black youth in Liberty, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The current building was erected in 1911 after the original school burned. Garrison was once considered among the best schools in the state. After the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case ruled segregated schools unconstitutional in 1954, Missouri schools desegregated, and Garrison became the kindergarten for the Liberty School District in 1961.
In 2003 CCAAL Inc., a 501c3, purchased Garrison from the Liberty School District and transformed Garrison into a diverse and inclusive venue focused on the preservation of African American contributions to the rich history of the northland. The mission: to promote the history and legacy of the 146-year-old school, celebrate culture, encourage human relations, and enrich the lives of Liberty/Clay County residents.
Today Garrison is a cultural center, museum, art gallery, and home to Corbin Theater with monthly jazz entertainment and quality theater productions. Garrison is a diversity hub linking past to present through its exhibit rooms, African American art gallery, artifacts, sculptures, and murals as well as programs and events that preserve the history, celebrate the culture, and builds bridges to promote humanity and human relations.
The KCMC grants supports the Garrison Cultural Center as they make exterior and interior renovations to the space and expand programming focused on the interpretation of African American history in Clay County. The coalition is also supporting the addition of historical murals and the installation of a historical period kitchen that will highlight African American chefs from Clay County and their recipes passed down from generation to generation.
Photos and Documents provided by the Garrison School Cultural Center