People's History Kansas City

Years before the Stonewall uprising, Drew Shafer started Kansas City's first gay rights organization and published the first LGBTQ magazine in the Midwest. It was that effort, in part, that made Stonewall a turning point in the gay rights movement. Plus, how the lead industry lied to the American public for decades about the dangers of its toxic products.

Kansas City radio pioneer Andrew Skip Carter started the nation’s first Black-owned and operated station west of the Mississippi River, KPRS AM. Now the company he founded, Carter Broadcast Group, is looking back at 72 years of growth and contemplating a robust future.

Over the last century, the Country Club Plaza has survived floods, social unrest and challenging economic climates. How can Kansas City reconcile its affection for the district with the problematic vision of its creator, J.C. Nichols?