Kansas City History

Garcia founded La Raza political club in Kansas City to get more Latinos involved in politics. She had the ear of many elected officials and opened doors for Latino candidates at the local, state and national level.

Walt Disney gets all the credit for creating Mickey Mouse, but it was actually his best friend Ub Iwerks who first brought the iconic character to life in 1928.

Walt Disney gets most of the credit for creating Mickey Mouse. But few know the real story: Kansas City animator Ub Iwerks, Disney’s best friend, was the first to bring the iconic character to life. Then Mickey's success almost tore them apart for good.

Community Christian Church, just off the Country Club Plaza, was designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. For years its defining feature was a “steeple of light” that sent beams of light into the night sky. But for the past two years the church has been dark.

After spending most of my free time in parks for a year, I visited St. Louis and saw a city that related to its parks very differently. My attempts to understand why revealed a stark truth: our parks were designed to separate people, not bring them together.

After spending most of my free time in parks for a year, I visited St. Louis and saw a city that related to its parks very differently. My attempts to understand why revealed a stark truth: Kansas City's parks were designed to separate people, not bring them together.

This year the state of Missouri is celebrating its 200th birthday. But few people today know about the Native American tribe behind the state’s name.

Started in 1932 the William Volker Charities Fund focused on progressive social programs for the less fortunate in Kansas City but after his death was used to aggressively support a "procapitalist, pro-Christian, and anticommunist agenda."

How William Volker's money laid the foundation for American conservatism and a look at the pandemic's impacts on retirement plans.

The Real Humans podcast crew is off for the week, but we love this episode of A People's History of Kansas City and we think you will too. It's the little-known story of Henry Perry, the guy who made Kansas City barbecue famous back in the 1900s. He hasn't gotten the credit he deserves — until now.

A soil collection ceremony on Saturday will honor the life of Levi Harrington, who was lynched in Kansas City 139 years ago. Will the event help foster reconciliation and a better understanding of past and present racial violence in Missouri?

In the early 1900s, Sarah Lloyd Green was notorious for sticking it to the man as a feminist, suffragette and labor organizer in Kansas City. Her story isn't well known, but she was a champion for Black and white laundry workers and even started a waitress union.