social progress

Protest groups and social activists in Kansas City are facing a suite of challenges as public attention shifts away from issues of police and criminal justice reform, which mobilized so many during 2020.

A cluster of tents set up along the sidewalk in front of police headquarters downtown were used by protesters who pledged to remain until Chief Rick Smith resigns and the officer who arrested the pregnant woman is fired.

Social justice activists held a news conference, decrying a Kansas City police officer's arrest of a pregnant woman caught on videotape.

Shirley's Kitchen Cabinet aims to use the collective power of Black women to influence public policy.

Educators and museum leaders around Kansas City formed The Learning Collaborative to ready themselves for the hard discussions of 2020 and beyond.

The TV network was "like the internet before anyone had the internet," said music researcher Brad Osborn, and its series of "buzz-worthy" music videos was an influential tastemaker.

Can Kansas City make itself a place where young Black people want to stay?

How urban Kansas City became a parking lot hot spot, and recognizing the power athletes have to influence social movements.

The Chiefs continue their practices, but Coach Andy Reid and some players have joined other professional sports teams in their vocal opposition to ongoing police brutality.

John Donaldson, one of the best pitchers in The Negro Leagues, played for the Kansas City Monarchs. He excelled on the diamond despite the tragic start to his life in the town of Glasgow, Missouri, where a police officer shot and killed his father.

To show Black lives matter in Kansas City, organizers plan to put down paint, in the manner of similar projects in Washington, Cleveland, Tulsa and elsewhere.

Murals on the value of Black life are set to grace Kansas City streets, a historic vice presidential candidacy gives rise to reflections on race and identity, and Kansas City music venues are embracing change to salvage the summer concert season.