Racism

The t-shirt that the Liberian bi-state organization is producing for the Ralph Yarl family.

Past and Present Meet for KC Scholars Through ‘Till’ Movie

By Mary Sanchez | August 2, 2023

KC Scholars has announced a $50,000 scholarship in the name of Ralph Yarl, a Black teenager who was shot when he approached a house in Kansas City.

Hundreds of Kansas Citians gather at University Academy for a town hall discussion on reparations in Kansas City.

Kansas City Starts Down a Long Road to Black Reparations

By Mary Sanchez, Cody Boston | June 15, 2023

Kansas City is embarking on a difficult quest to consider and create reparations to address harm the city has caused and perpetuated for its Black residents.

Ralph Yarl Shooting Reverberates in KC’s Liberian Community

By Mary Sanchez | May 3, 2023

The shooting of Ralph Yarl has reverberated through Kansas City’s close-knit Liberian community, which has rallied around one of their own.

George and Sylvester “Pat” Johnson, Reuben Benton and Leroy Doty came to be known as “The Foursome.”

KC Filmmakers Tee Up Documentary on Black Golfers

By Catherine Hoffman | July 8, 2022

In March 1950, four Black men placed their fees on the counter of the whites-only Swope Memorial Golf Course and left to tee off. Slashed tires, broken windows and a decade-long battle to assert the right for equal play on Kansas City’s golf courses ensued.

An illustration of a group of people against a brown paper backdrop. This accompanies a story on understanding and demystifying critical race theory and how learning is a unifier for the community.

curiousKC | A Guide to Learn (and Demystify) Critical Race Theory

By Vicky Diaz-Camacho | November 15, 2021

The legal theory “Critical Race Theory” has dominated headlines. What is it and who’s responsible? Here’s your guide.

The ruins of "Black Wall Street" after the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921.

Tracing Kansas City’s Ties to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

By Brian Burnes | May 27, 2021

The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre sent ripples that could be felt in Kansas City. Flatland explores the sometimes surprising local links to arguably the most serious, yet little known, race crime in U.S. history.

College-age Japanese American students were allowed to leave internment camps and were enrolled at Park College in 1942.

Kansas City’s Surprising Connection to Japanese Internment Camps

By Catherine Hoffman | May 12, 2021

College-aged Japanese American students were allowed to leave World War II internment camps to be enrolled at Park College in 1942.

Demonstrators hold signs during a press conference calling to a halt on violence against Asian Americans

‘We Are Significant’: Resources in Response to Violence Against Asian Americans

By Jada Leng | March 24, 2021

A PBS employee reflects on the response to recent attacks on Asian Americans in Atlanta, Georgia.

Archival photos are laid on a tan piece of paper, denoting how our journalist traced down the history of Parkville.

curiousKC | Parkville Reckons With Its Storied Past

By Catherine Hoffman | December 21, 2020

A Flatland reader was curious to know more about the history of Black life in Parkville – a part of the Kansas City metro area. Here’s what we learned.