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Kansas City Today

Where Black Kansas Citians could live the American Dream

By Nomin Ujiyediin,
Trevor Grandin, Byron J. Love
Published August 11, 2022 at 4:00 AM CDT
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Parade Park was a symbol of pride for Black families in Kansas City who finally got their chance at home ownership — but the neighborhood may not survive redevelopment. Plus, staff shortages are forcing Missouri school districts to consider four-day weeks.

After 60 years of operation, one of the nation's oldest Black-owned housing co-ops may be in trouble. Parade Park, once a bastion of the "American Dream," has fallen into disrepair and faces foreclosure. KCUR's podcast A People's History of Kansas City dug into the past of this historic neighborhood and why its future looks so grim.

From bus drivers to teachers, school districts are finding it difficult to fill critical positions as the new year begins. Independence, Missouri, is the latest district to consider a big change: Shortening the school week to four days. St. Louis Public Radio's Kate Grumke spoke with Associate Professor Jon Turner about the effectiveness of a shorter school week.

Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR onTwitter andFacebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted today by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love, Trevor Grandin, and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate

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Kansas City Today historyKansas City History18th and VineParade ParkHousingHousing Authority of Kansas Cityaffordable housingBlack Historyeducationteacher shortageteachersschools
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.
See stories by Nomin Ujiyediin
Trevor Grandin
Trevor Grandin is a contributing producer for KCUR Studios.
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Byron J. Love
As an on-demand producer, I am focused on using my skills and experiences across multiple digital applications, platforms and media fields to create community focused audio, video and on-demand products for KCUR Studios. The media that I produce aims to inform, entertain and connect with the Kansas City metro area as we continue to learn from each other. Email me at byronlove@kcur.org.
See stories by Byron J. Love
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