Kansas City History

Con el nuevo estadio innovador del KC Current, el fútbol soccer femenino se ha consolidado como una parte fundamental de la identidad de Kansas City. Es una de las razones principales por las que esta ciudad patrocinará la Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026 y por la que Estados Unidos es tomada en serio en el fútbol soccer. Pero tras siglos de prejuicios, financiación desigual y prohibiciones directas, los aficionados no dan por sentado este dominio.

Central High School in Kansas City went from an all-white student population to all-Black after Brown v. Board. UMKC professor Dr. Bradley Poos tells the story in his new book, "Urban Education: Kansas City’s Central High School and the Enduring Legacy of Racism."

With the trailblazing Current stadium, women's soccer staked its claim as a vital part of Kansas City’s identity. It's a central reason why this city will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and why the United States gets taken seriously in soccer at all. But after centuries of prejudice, unequal funding and outright bans, fans don't take this dominance for granted.

In Katy Schamberger's book, "Oldest Kansas City," readers can learn about the history behind the city's oldest barbecue restaurants, oldest brick house, oldest neighborhood and so much more.

Kansas City, Missouri, became the first major city in the U.S. to repeal its anti-jaywalking ordinance, after research found that tickets were being disproportionately issued to Black men. It’s a full-circle moment, because Kansas City was also the first city to criminalize jaywalking more than a century earlier.

Richardson founded an association aimed at advancing the media careers of people of color at a time when diverse voices were not prioritized. ‘His life’s work stands as a testament to the power of representation,’ his family wrote.

Watkins was a founder of the political organization Freedom, Inc. and one of the Kansas City Council’s first two Black members. He was a vocal opponent of Highway 71 — although parts of the parkway were eventually named after him. An event at the Kansas City Public Library on Sunday, Feb. 15, will remember his full life and legacy.

In 1912, Kansas City, Missouri, became the first city in the U.S. to arrest people for jaywalking. Fueled by auto industry propaganda, this decision set off a nationwide trend to redesign our roads for the car — at the expense of everyone else.

A huge tree is being cut down in Kansas City's Historic Northeast. The burr oak predates even the Revolutionary War and survived as the city sprang up around it. But after a lightning strike and years of disease, Frank the Liberty Tree has reached its end.

The 250-year-old "Liberty Tree" in Kansas City’s historic Northeast is dying of fungal root disease. Entrepreneur Alex Villalobos-McAnderson has been saying goodbye with a ceremony thanking the tree for its contributions.

As an 11-year-old, Sarah Rector became the richest Black child in America, but danger in Oklahoma led to her family moving to Kansas City. Rector’s story, long forgotten from the history books, is now the subject of the 2025 film “Sarah’s Oil.”

Mientras Estados Unidos se prepara para la Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026, es difícil recordar que el fútbol profesional en este país parecía un sueño imposible. Pero un empresario de Kansas City, más conocido como el fundador de los Chiefs, era un firme creyente. Desde los intentos fallidos de crear una liga nacional, pasando por la creación de la MLS y el primer estadio de fútbol de Estados Unidos, Lamar Hunt estuvo siempre presente.