If there was a common theme this week in Kansas City it’s that this town is hopelessly divided between black and white.
While I don’t want to be a pessimist it’s nearly impossible to objectively look at this town without seeing eons worth of racial divisions that taint nearly every popular discussion in local discourse. What’s worse is that during The Great Recession people without cash or prospects have even more time to debate the vast array of inequities which define life in the American Midwest.
Let’s review just a few stories from this week that support my brilliant assertion.
1. It was the week of The Waldo Rapist in Kansas City with a horrific sexual assault to start the week and then a silly (thankfully non-fatal) run-in between a dude with warrants and a Dudley-Do-right wanting save the world with his cellphone by stalking the aforementioned Black dude, who scared him with his mere presence. The latter part of this equation sparked local talk show phone lines so much that folks didn’t notice there hasn’t been much visible progress that the rapist at-large is any closer to being caught.
2. Speaking of vigilantism. After months of the tacit understanding that Black dudes weren’t really welcomed in Waldo. It became abundantly clear that Black men around Kansas City were being unfairly profiled despite a lack of anything in common with a vague composite sketch.
3. Sadly, what impacts the lives of locals far more than any battle over political correctness and racial disparity is the black and white of Kansas City’s financial statements. While the eyes of the metro were focused on Waldo, nobody noticed that Moody’s downgraded Kansas City’s credit rating once again as this town’s fiances are in even worse shape than race relations.
4. But it’s not all bad news, in what might have been a clever move Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon appointed Former City Councilman and longtime anti-crime/Civil Rights Activist Alvin Brooks to the Kansas City Police Board. Despite so much back channel political gossip, Brooks is definitely one of Kansas City’s favorite African-American dudes, at least in the field of politics. And the appointment of the old-timer, who has to be in his 80s, seems like, at the very least, an attempt to look back o the hopefulness of the long gone Civil Rights era.
5. Finally, public discussion of Superintendent John Covington’s School Consolidation Plan was wrapped up this week and the biggest obstacle to the progress of the proposed school closings came from the African-Centered Education school that didn’t really want to be a part of Kansas City, Missouri School District downsizing. Nevertheless, despite the feelings of students, parents and teachers there seems to be a consensus among pundits and so many local professionals that the district needs to get smaller, leaner and smarter if it’s going to survive. But, as always, the discussion of race and disparity is far more interesting than PR spin stressing “right-sizing” and ignoring the history of administrators who have ruined the district over the years, while inspiring families both Black and white to escape their incompetence.
And while issues related to Kansas City’s pocketbook or racial divisiveness aren’t going to be solved anytime soon, the only thing for certain is that we’re going to be fighting about
Precious
As usual Tony offers up his skewed racist view of KC. If you spend your life looking for the worst in people that is all you ever see. There is a racial device in KC just as there is in the rest of America. Are black men being profiled in Waldo right now? YES. Just as the government has taken some of our freedoms and liberties away to fight terrorism so must a few people suffer a little more scrutiny at the hands of the public. Someone knows the identity of the Rapist. Someone is not talking to the police. White culture does not subscribe to the idiocy of “stop snitching”. If the Rapist’s sister/brother/mother came forward and snitched this would all end. Why is it when white people in KC band together to catch a criminal they are racist? According to Tony it’s simply because they are white. That IS racist. Tony is racist.
Dexter Morgan
Black guys being profiled in Waldo because there’s a black rapist wandering around. Arabs being profiled in airports because there are terrorist attacks. Shit happens. Welcome to life on Earth bro.
smartman
The Washington rapist scares me more than the Waldo rapist. President Obama is doing more damage to black white relations in this country than anyone. Until he incorporates a message of personal accountability and responsibility into his messages of redistribution of wealth, whitey, or anybody else that works for a living and provides for a family ain’t buying.
Buck Ofama
Right on, smartman! Send me a blunt, a pan of fried chicken, and some cherry Kool Aid, that would go a long way with me. Hey, if he can invite a couple of guys over for beers, it’s the least he can do for us.
Rational, Lucid Thinker
Holy shit now Obama is responsible for racism! Just when I thought you right wing tea bagging Jesus lovers couldn’t get any loonier, you go and completely outdo yourselves!
Bravo small brain, bravo!
Bob
OMG. I’d love to see just ONE article that DOESN’T have a damn thing with Washington STAY THAT WAY! Come on people, stay on topic. We get it, you don’t like Obama. Who cares? Next.
Bob
OK, now for comment on the article. Just being a black man doesn’t fit any profile. They shouldn’t be profiled. We’ve all seen the pic. The guy that followed the dude into kck said he was wearing a skull cap. So that fits the description? He probably has a full head of hair under it. And what makes a car suspicious anyway? I know, I know! A black man driving it in Waldo.
Really Dex, lets get more descriptive of a person other than just their race. LAME.
smartman
All the polling and research indicate that the President is creating an atmosphere in which racial tensions are increasing. There is no hope or change. It’s politics at its’ worst in DC. It’s got nothing to do with loving Jesus or being a member of the Tea Party movement. The whole better late than never reparations plan through income redistribution doesn’t fly with anyone, liberal or conservative, who works to support a family. There will always be racism in this country. It’s human nature. The President is making it worse.
MandDShagger
Until the KCMO school district gets it together the city is going to be in a world of hurt. If we put as much effort in to making the schools work for parents, teachers and students as we did in the P&L and Sprint Center projects we’d be in a much better situation. Education, public safety, infrastructure improvements, and quality schools are what will make this a better city. Until that message gets embraced all you have to do is look at Detroit to see where we are headed.
Rational, Lucid Thinker
Smartman you aren’t very bright are you? Polls are a joke. Research by who? Right wing tea bagging bible humpers?
White people on the right don’t like a black guy being in the Whiter House. They hate it. It eats away at them from the inside of their poisoned racist heart. They would rather see Obama fail because A) he’s black, and B) he’s a democrat. Most of those small brained right wingers get all their ideas from Fox News. They hear some idiot say something on Hannity and adopt it as their own opinion.
Smartman you sound like one of these same typical morons who goes through life just dumb enough to be dangerous.