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Essential & Nonessential Business | History Of The Census | The Black Creatures

Jenny Garmon is leading census outreach for the Kansas City Public Library, but the pandemic has made it difficult to reach many communities.
Lisa Rodriguez
/
KCUR 89.3
Jenny Garmon is leading census outreach for the Kansas City Public Library, but the pandemic has made it difficult to make contact in many communities.

An argument for moving away from the essential-nonessential business designation that has proliferated since the pandemic, how censuses have shaped society for thousands of years, and an eclectic album has emerged from the Black Creatures' new hunkered-down routine.

Segment 1, beginning at 3:45: Can bars ever be safe in a pandemic?

Figuring out which businesses are essential and nonessential during a pandemic can be a hairy ordeal. That's why some conservative groups say states and counties should instead be determining which businesses are safe and which are not — so that a bar with a tricked-out ventilation system, rigorous social distancing and no karaoke can still be allowed to open.

  • Ryan Kriegshauser, Kansas attorney and legal counsel for the Trust Kansas Coalition

Segment 2, beginning at 21:15: 'How the Census Has Shaped Nations, from the Ancient World to the Modern Age'

The U.S. Constitution requires an "actual Enumeration" to occur every 10 years, and the implications of that decennial census are huge. It affects the number of elected officials states have in Congress, the makeup of the electoral college, our society's ability to determine how and where people live in America, and how we use that to distribute resources.

Segment 3, beginning at 41:35: Band's latest release combines elements of pop, hip hop, electronic dance music and soul

The COVID-19 pandemic put The Black Creatures' plans for a tour on hold, but it gave the Kansas City duo more time to focus on a new album, called "Wild Echoes." The collection explores ideas and issues highly relevant to the social movements now gripping the U.S.

The Black Creatures are hosting album release parties at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 28 and Saturday, Aug. 29 at Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming St., Kansas City, Missouri 64102. For tickets and more information, visit LemonadeParkKC.com.

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
As culture editor, I oversee KCUR’s coverage of race, culture, the arts, food and sports. I work with reporters to make sure our stories reflect the fullest view of the place we call home, so listeners and readers feel primed to explore the places, projects and people who make up a vibrant Kansas City. Email me at luke@kcur.org.
Whether it’s something happening right now or something that happened 100 years ago, some stories don’t fit in the short few minutes of a newscast. As a podcast producer at KCUR, I help investigate questions and local curiosities in a way that brings listeners along for adventures with plot twists and thought-provoking ideas. Sometimes there isn’t an easy answer in the end – but my hope is that we all leave with a greater understanding of the city we live in. Reach me at mackenzie@kcur.org.