Racism

By weakening Voting Rights Act protections against racial discrimination in redistricting, the Supreme Court has paved the way for the largest-ever drop in representation by Black members of Congress.

Even though the Supreme Court's decision gutting the Voting Rights Act would likely allow the Missouri legislature to redraw the 1st Congressional District in 2027, GOP lawmakers may be hesitant to change the St. Louis-based seat.

The court, in a 6-3 decision along partisan lines, ruled that Louisiana's 2024 election map, which created a second majority-Black congressional district, was "an unconstitutional racial gerrymander."

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."

Kansas City was one of many U.S. cities with laws against jaywalking until advocates realized that police were mostly handing out tickets to Black men. Here's how Kansas City repealed its ban and reclaimed the right to jaywalk.

The bronze historical plaque will be installed at the site of a St. Louis slave prison once owned by Bernard M. Lynch, a nationally known trader of enslaved men, women and children.

A Supreme Court case over Louisiana's congressional map could determine the future of Voting Rights Act protections against racial discrimination and allow Republicans to draw 19 more House seats — including in Missouri.

Kansas GOP leaders have condemned offensive messages sent in a national Young Republicans group chat. They said the group is now inactive.

A new memorial will mark the lynching of 21-year-old John Buckner in St. Louis County. An 1897 news report called it “swift punishment by a county mob.”

The GOP-dominated Missouri House easily passed legislation Monday night to gerrymander the state's congressional districts. It would link urban areas of Kansas City with rural counties more than 250 miles away.

A Democratic state representative said the Republican-drawn map will purposefully dilute Black political power in order to force out Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, who was elected as the first African American mayor of Kansas City.

The Arkansas group Return to the Land, which explicitly bans Jews and non-whites from membership, is exploring the idea of expanding into the Springfield area. Both Democratic and Republican legislative leaders from the area spoke out against the plan.