Passing the Baton | Sonny Gibson’s Pursuit of Local Black History
Passing the Baton Ep. 5
March 6, 2023 | Sandy Woodson | 1 min read
Season One, Passing the Baton Ep. 5
Sonny Gibson, a historian and author, has been doggedly documenting the forgotten history of Black Kansas City for decades.
In this week’s installment of “Passing the Baton,” a series of cross-generational conversations hosted by urban educator Carl Boyd, Gibson shares with activist and radio producer DeQuai Wilson his process in researching topics like the creation of the first hospital for African Americans in Kansas City.
“Most people who write books … will give you the information that you’ll get,” Gibson said. “It does not necessarily be the truth, and it does not necessarily be a matter of fact. So, what I decided to do was gather information that was printed or published at the time.”
It is a laborious pursuit, but one to which Gibson has devoted his life.
“You have to have a love for what I do,” he said. “I haven’t been able to find anybody that’s crazy like me.”
To learn more, watch the attached video.
Sandy Woodson is an independent producer, most recently of “AIDS in KC: The Early Days,” which aired on Kansas City PBS. “Passing the Baton” is presented with support from Health Forward Foundation and
Husch Blackwell.
Reading these stories is free, but telling them is not. Start your monthly gift now to support Flatland’s community-focused reporting.
Related Stories
The Declaration at 250: How Expansionism Helped Fuel A Revolution
Animus toward British restrictions on moving westward was one reason Americans sought their independence, though bedrock principles like freedom of speech remain relevant today.
A Black Friday Romp Through the Metro’s Shoplifting History
Not long ago a woman walked into an Oak Park Mall bath and body store carrying two shopping bags. She lingered for two hours, examining the scented candles. Then the phone of Detective Byron Pierce of the Overland Park Police Department buzzed. The caller was an employee of the store. “Everything okay?” Pierce asked. No….
A Better Big Blue Battlefield in Kansas City | Part III
Editor’s note: This is the final installment of a three-part series on the restoration of the Big Blue Battlefield in Kansas City, Missouri. The engagement on the Big Blue Battlefield was pivotal in the larger Battle of Westport, an October 1864 clash that effectively ended organized Confederate military operations in Missouri. As the years receded,…