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MLK and McDonald's in Kansas City

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.

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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.

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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.
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.
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