The Jackson County Historical Society will honor the Kansas City Black History Project by the Kansas City Public Library, the Black Archives of Mid-America and LINC at its annual awards dinner this month.

The 12-year campaign of annually gathering the stories of great and influential Black men and women from the Kansas City area culminated this past year with a book that compiled the more than 70 biographies.

The book also included essays from Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, Black Archives’ executive director Carmaletta Williams, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick, Activist Justice Horn and an original work by poet Glenn North.

The project is winning the award for Historic Publication.

The Jackson County Historical Society is dedicated to the preservation and understanding of its county’s heritage and will promote the study, appreciation, and interpretation of local and regional history.

An expanded version of the book, with new biographies and essays, will be published later this summer. Watch LINC’s KC Black History page for updates.