Henry Perry was the self-professed “barbecue king” of Kansas City in the early 1900s. Even though two of the most famous Kansas City barbecue restaurants (Gates and Arthur Bryant's) trace their style of barbecue directly back to Perry, few Kansas Citians grew up knowing his story — including his own granddaughter.
The podcast traces the origin of Kansas City’s iconic export through the influence of a single Black entrepreneur, underscores the importance of questioning who gets celebrated and why, and reminds us that we’re all culpable for making sure important legacies aren’t forgotten.