Advancing Descendant Engagement in Nicodemus, Kansas

A Reparative Approach to Preservation and Stewardship

by Ashley C. Adams, Ph.D.

Mills College at Northeastern University

Black Reparations Project

August 2025

Nicodemus Rubric for Descendant Engagement (Visual). This visual illustrates the three integrated and cyclical domains of the Nicodemus Rubric: Equity and Sustainability; Governance, Resources, and Technology; and Cultural Healing, Narratives, and Memory. Together, these domains form a dynamic and evolving framework that guides descendant-led, reparative historic preservation. At the center is Reparative Preservation, not as a fixed endpoint, but as an ongoing process grounded in justice and cultural stewardship.<br />

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