Passing the Baton

A fixture in the community for decades, Brooks has served as a Kansas City policeman, assistant city manager, elected official and community leader — most notably as the founder of the AdHoc Group Against Crime.

Diane Charity grew up during the civil rights era and has been active in local community development and politics ever since. She is known for serving as board president of the Manheim Neighborhood Association and the Parade Park Homes Cooperative. She also is a member of Kansas City PBS’ community advisory board. More recently, Charity became a key player in founding KC Tenants.

As pastor of Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church, Miles has a firsthand view of his community. In this week’s installment of “Passing the Baton,” a series of cross-generational conversations hosted by urban educator Carl Boyd, Miles reflects on efforts to redevelop the area around 27th Street and Prospect Avenue with educator Jannette Bush.

Carmaletta Williams has warm memories of growing up in a close-knit Kansas City neighborhood. Williams, CEO of the Black Archives of Mid-America, has entirely different feelings about how the highway now known as Bruce R. Watkins Drive changed the city.

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.