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The Experiences Of Black Men Living In Johnson County, Kansas

By Brian Ellison,

Published September 4, 2020 at 4:39 PM CDT

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A video still of Merriam, Kansas, resident Dante Lee's interview in the "I Am George Floyd" docuseries.

The new docuseries "I Am George Floyd" features interviews of Black men in Johnson County who see parts of themselves in the Minneapolis man whose death sparked nationwide protests.

While 2019 population estimates put Johnson County at 86% white and under 5% Black, participants in the series stress the importance of looking beyond the statistics and understanding their lived experiences.

Ron Lackey, worship pastor at Legacy Christian Church
Dante Lee, assistant boy's basketball coach at Van Horn High School

The"I Am George Floyd" interactive panel discussion takes place on Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at 7 p.m. For more information visit the event page on Facebook.

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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.

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Chris Young

Chris Young is an Assistant Producer for KCUR’s Up To Date. Contact him at chrisy@kcur.org.

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Mackenzie Martin

Whether it’s something happening right now or something that happened 100 years ago, some stories don’t fit in the short few minutes of a newscast. As a podcast producer at KCUR, I help investigate questions and local curiosities in a way that brings listeners along for adventures with plot twists and thought-provoking ideas. Sometimes there isn’t an easy answer in the end – but my hope is that we all leave with a greater understanding of the city we live in. Reach me at mackenzie@kcur.org.

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