Save Nick Chiles Buildings

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"Over the past few months, a trio of decaying downtown buildings in Topeka, Kan., have become a window into charged local debates around historical memory and urban redevelopment. Situated between 112 and 118 SE Seventh Street, they are named for African American journalist Nick Chiles and once housed the newspaper Chiles founded, the Plaindealer.

In late 2021, local development firm AIM Strategies announced its intention to tear down the Chiles buildings and rebuild on the site. However, local activists quickly mobilized against this decision, stressing the historical significance of the buildings and the need to see them restored to once more serve Topeka’s Black residents.

Such public outcry is a testament to the Plaindealer’s historical significance for Topeka’s Black community. At the height of its influence, the paper boasted the largest circulation of any Black periodical west of the Mississippi River. The Plaindealer was one among hundreds of Black-owned newspapers and magazines that collectively formed the Black press — a critical institution that gave voice to people who were voiceless and helped to disseminate news of Black attitudes and achievements within and beyond African American communities."

Perspective | Preserving Black-press buildings is crucial to urban communities These sites were more than media hubs — they were community crown jewels.