Kansas City Today

The merry old land of Oz?

By Nomin Ujiyediin,

Published May 29, 2023 at 4:00 AM CDT

Ways To Subscribe

The Wizard of Oz has given Kansas something very few other states have: A global brand. But generations after the film’s release, is that brand still a gift? Or has it become a curse that boxes Kansas into an inaccurate, outdated image?

The Wizard of Oz and Kansas have been inseparable since farm girl Dorothy Gale first skipped down the yellow brick road. But does an enduring image from the Dust Bowl 1930s hold Kansas back from what it wants to be today? David Condos of the Kansas News Service reports.

Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Paris Norvell, Byron Love 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

Tags

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

Paris Rex Norvell

Paris Norvell is a freelance podcast producer for KCUR Studios,

See stories by Paris Rex Norvell

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