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What Two Artists Behind Kansas City's Black Lives Matter Murals Hope Their Work Achieves

By Brian Ellison,

Published September 4, 2020 at 4:48 PM CDT

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Michael Toombs and Harold Smith are two of six artists behind Kansas City's Black Lives Matter murals.

Painting will begin this Saturday in Kansas City on six street murals, each designed by a different artist with a unique message.

Harold Smith's design features a Martin Luther King Jr. quote: "We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools." Meanwhile, Michael Toombs' piece focuses on the accomplishments of Black Americans, stressing the importance of why Black lives matter in the first place.

Michael Toombs, artist and director of Storytellers, Inc.
Harold Smith, artist and educator

For more information about the Black Lives Matter murals in Kansas City, visit the KC Art on the Block Facebook Page.

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Up To Date Racism race relations Kansas City Missouri (KCMO)public art mural Talk Show Podcast Visual arts

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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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 and reporter at KCUR Studios, 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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