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Sundays at 5pmRebroadcast Mondays at 8pm Host: Susan B. Wilson Producer & Co-Host: Sylvia Maria Gross Assistant Producer: Alex Smith Contact: kccurrents@kcur.org or 816.235.6696Follow our Tweets: www.twitter.com/kccurrents For a weekly reminder of what's coming up on KC Currents, send an email to kccurrents@kcur.orgThe Latest From KC CurrentsPlanting New Grocery Stores In Rural Food Deserts Rural America is losing its grocery stores. Fewer people are living in the countryside, and mom-and-pop markets can't compete with big chains. But as KCUR's Sylvia Maria Gross reports, some small towns are finding creative ways to buck the trend. K-State Program Supports Rural Groceries With grocery stores in rural Kansas closing at record speed, having access to healthy food is a growing issue. Sylvia Maria Gross interviews K-State Professor David Proctor about what options are available for small town groceries.

Bill Cosby at Penn Valley Community College

By Sylvia Maria Gross

Kansas City, MO – Bill Cosby was at Penn Valley Community College on Tuesday, May 23, 2006. He addressed more than 1000 people in two separate sessions about personal responsibility and parenting. The crowd included some white families, but the majority were African American. Kansas City Resident Tanya Titus brought her son Darius to see the man behind Fat Albert.

Mayor Kay Barnes presented Cosby with the key to the city, and Missouri State Representative Sharon Saunders Brooks read a proclamation with a personal twist.

Cosby responded quietly to these honors, giving hugs and making his familiar grandfatherly faces. As part of the program, Cosby invited a series of Kansas City residents (myself included) to share stories about violence and overcoming adversity. When he heard something particularly strong, he shot his fist into the air, and held it steady. Bill Cosby sparked controversy two years ago, when he began criticizing poor African Americans for their dress, language, and parenting skills. Some, like author and University of Pennsylvania Professor Michael Eric Dyson, a recent guest on KC Currents, accused him of blaming the victim. But Cosby continues to use his fame to preach a message of self-reliance for African-Americans.

Sylvia Maria Gross is storytelling editor at KCUR 89.3. Reach her on Twitter @pubradiosly.
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