A People's History of Kansas City

This mural defies fascists

By Nomin Ujiyediin,

Published September 30, 2025 at 3:00 AM CDT

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Artist Luis Quintanilla fled Spain to escape fascism and civil war, but most of his work did not survive. Today, only two of his murals remain in the world, one of which sits in an otherwise ordinary corner on the campus of the University of Missouri-Kansas City. 85 years later, Quintanilla’s bizarre and enthralling masterpiece stands as a testament to immigrants, and a warning against authoritarianism. KCUR’s Nomin Ujiyediin reports.

This episode of A People's History of Kansas City was reported by Nomin Ujiyediin and produced and mixed by Mackenzie Martin, with editing by Suzanne Hogan and Gabe Rosenberg.

A People's History of Kansas City

Nomin Ujiyediin

As a newscaster and a host of a daily news podcast, I want to deliver the most important and interesting news of the day in an engaging and easily understandable way. No matter where you live in the metro or what you’re interested in, I want you to learn something from each newscast or podcast – and maybe even give you something to talk about at the dinner table.

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Mackenzie Martin

As senior podcast producer for KCUR Studios and a host of A People’s History of Kansas City, I interview everyday people and dig through old newspaper articles to unearth stories of the visionaries and renegades who created this region. I focus on bringing the past to life, so we can all better understand the city we live in today. Email me at mackenzie@kcur.org.

See stories by Mackenzie Martin