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Kansas City Today

MLK and McDonald's in Kansas City

By Brian Ellison,
Byron J. Love
Published January 15, 2024 at 4:00 AM CST
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Today marks 95 years since Martin Luther King Jr. was born. In Kansas City, King’s death set off a chain reaction that went all the way to McDonald's. Plus: A group of Kansas musicians formed one of the first all-women mariachi groups in the country.

The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. motivated a wave of new organizers to pick up the fight for racial equality. From the podcast A People’s History of Kansas City, KCUR's Mackenzie Martin explains how McDonald’s franchises played surprising a role.

A group of Kansas musicians broke barriers when they formed one of the first all-women mariachi bands in the country more than 50 years ago. But a deadly disaster almost ended Mariachi Estrella. KCUR's Suzanne Hogan tells the story of how their descendants are continuing the band's traditions.

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

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by 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
Kansas City Today Kansas City Missouri (KCMO)Martin Luther King Jr.civil rightsBlack HistoryMcDonald'sLocal musicmariachiLatinosHyatt disaster
Brian Ellison
As a host and contributor at KCUR, I seek to create a more informed citizenry and richer community. I want to enlighten and inspire our audience by delivering the information they need with accuracy and urgency, clarifying what’s complicated and teasing out the complexities of what seems simple. I work to craft conversations that reveal realities in our midst and model civil discourse in a divided world. Follow me on Twitter @ptsbrian or email me at brian@kcur.org.
See stories by Brian Ellison
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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