From slavery to fortune in Independence
Images Courtesy of Iowa State University and Carlos Moreno
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David White, KCUR 89.3 FM
Independence, Missouri, was the door to America’s westward expansion in the 19th century. At its center stood Hiram Young, a formerly enslaved man who carved out a fortune, lost most of it, and whose influence on the region is beginning to spread.
As KCUR’s general assignment reporter and visual journalist, I bring our audience inside the daily stories that matter most to the people of the Kansas City metro, showing how and why events affect residents. Through my photography, I seek to ensure our diverse community sees itself represented in our coverage. Email me at <a href="mailto:carlos@kcur.org" target="_blank" link-data="{"cms.site.owner":{"_ref":"0000016e-ccea-ddc2-a56e-edfe57dc0000","_type":"ae3387cc-b875-31b7-b82d-63fd8d758c20"},"cms.content.publishDate":1678386685358,"cms.content.publishUser":{"_ref":"00000170-820a-de8d-af78-a70f6b270000","_type":"6aa69ae1-35be-30dc-87e9-410da9e1cdcc"},"cms.content.updateDate":1678386685358,"cms.content.updateUser":{"_ref":"00000170-820a-de8d-af78-a70f6b270000","_type":"6aa69ae1-35be-30dc-87e9-410da9e1cdcc"},"cms.directory.paths":[],"anchorable.showAnchor":false,"link":{"attributes":[],"cms.directory.paths":[],"linkText":"carlos@kcur.org","target":"NEW","attachSourceUrl":false,"url":"mailto:carlos@kcur.org","_id":"00000186-c7a4-d5fc-addf-e7bc444a0001","_type":"ff658216-e70f-39d0-b660-bdfe57a5599a"},"_id":"00000186-c7a4-d5fc-addf-e7bc444a0000","_type":"809caec9-30e2-3666-8b71-b32ddbffc288"}">carlos@kcur.org</a>.
Every part of the present has been shaped by actions that took place in the past, but too often that context is left out. As a podcast producer for KCUR Studios and host of the podcast A People’s History of Kansas City, I aim to provide context, clarity, empathy and deeper, nuanced perspectives on how the events and people in the past have shaped our community today. In that role, and as an occasional announcer and reporter, I want to entertain, inform, make you think, expose something new and cultivate a deeper shared human connection about how the passage of time affects us all. Reach me at hogansm@kcur.org.
Paris Norvell is a freelance podcast producer for KCUR Studios,