Kansas City shelters can now help keep houseless individuals warmer longer

Kansas City shelters can now help keep houseless individuals warmer longer

By: Grant Stephens

Posted at 9:59 PM, Nov 25, 2022

and last updated 1:07 PM, Nov 26, 2022

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Recent votes in the November election will keep homeless Kansas Citians safer for longer this winter.

"They're already wondering, 'Where will I spend this evening?'" said Reverend Randy Fikki with Unity Southeast KC. "They're already anticipating what buildings might be open today so that when they close tonight maybe the furnace will still be warm, so they have something to lean up against."

Unity Southeast KC has positioned itself to be part of the solution.

Fikki and volunteers have been busy at Hope Faith, just east of downtown KCMO, assembling an overnight warming shelter capable of taking in around 100 people each night.

He says this year is different for local shelters as they will be able to open Dec. 1 regardless of what the thermometer reads.

"It used to be dictated by the temperature, so if the temperature fell below 20 degrees, we were given the green light to open our doors," Fikki said.

A recent public vote supports better funding to help the unhoused, which means shelters can open for longer and buy more supplies.

Beyond funding, Fikki says the best contribution is time.

"We should not be looking away," Fikki said. "We should be looking within ourselves and asking, 'What are we made of? Who are we here to be? What are we being called to do? What are we being called to say? When are we being called to do it?'"

The shelter is always looking for volunteers and donations.

To learn how to contribute, click the link to Unity Southeast here.

‘There is a race problem in KC’: Forum talks of obstacles and solutions for the city.

‘There is a race problem in KC’: Forum talks of obstacles and solutions for the city

BY MATTI GELLMAN

UPDATED JULY 25, 2022 8:48 AM

The woman in the audience stood and took the microphone to tell her story. She was working at a bank, she told the crowd, and had seen colleagues treat white loan applicants better than Black ones. But at the time, she did not speak out. Then her fellow audience members were asked if they, too had ever seen someone being racist and failed to act. A majority raised their hands. On Saturday, no question or comment was off-limits to the 50 people gathered at a public forum at Community Christian Church. They came to share their thoughts on race and its impact on Kansas City.

They were invited to address “everything people are too afraid to talk about,” according to the flyers by It’s Time 4 Justice and More2, two local social justice groups. A panel of speakers directed the conversation and commended the audience for showing up, calling it a first step in addressing long-standing racism in Kansas City. As the forum got underway, a predominantly white crowd grabbed seats in the church sanctuary and tapped away at their phones, answering survey questions on what they’d hoped to gain and why they came. Interim Police Chief Joseph Mabin was in attendance, as well as Justice Horn, an activist who is running for the Jackson County Legislature, and multiple other local lawmakers. The Rev. Randy Fikki of Unity Southeast sat beside seven other panelists on stage and helped open up the conversation. “There is a race problem in Kansas City,” he said to rousing applause.

Panelist Haile Sims with the Advocacy and Awareness Group in Johnson County shared that he used to think he was doing enough to create a more respectful community by raising a family and educating his kids. But after the death of George Floyd, he needed to do more.

“I was in high school when Rodney King happened, and literally I’m having the same conversations with my children that I was having with my parents almost 30 years ago,” he said. “It’s not getting better. … That’s why I got involved with advocacy.” Panelists Matthew and LaKeisha Moore shared their desire for creating a more inclusive community. The married couple moved to Kansas City’s East Side from New Mexico in late 2020. LaKeisha, who is a Black woman, said marrying Matthew, who is a white man, an avowed former skinhead, introduced her to a new world of perspectives and experiences. “Until you have a relationship with someone with a different perspective than you, it doesn’t hit home,” she said.

Matthew felt the same. On their drive to the metro, they learned about the city’s history of racist housing policies and police targeting Black and brown communities after 1965, when many of the Jim Crow-era laws were changed. He said just driving by the bus stop and seeing only Black people highlighted how racist lending practices pushed the community east of Troost Avenue. Audience members pointed out the lack of money funneled to the East Side. Others referred to Troost as a line they could not cross as kids and felt that it remained a dividing line between Black and white communities.

Another member of the audience asked the crowd why people acknowledge that racism existed in the ’60s but not now. While some pointed to the end of the civil rights movement and others to the election of President Obama, none could pinpoint a time when racism was “eradicated.”

Read more at: https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article263743813.html#storylink=cpy

Kansas City opens overflow warming shelters for the homeless

Updated: 9:22 PM CST Jan 19, 2022

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —

Kansas City has opened overflow warming shelters for the homeless. There's such high demand that the regular shelters can't meet the need.

We talked with one man inside the shelter who says he knows someone who recently died trying to stay warm in temperatures like this. It's extremely dangerous, and that's what makes the work that the shelter and volunteers are doing that much more important.

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"Yes, we get a lot of people that come into the shelter because they have frostbite, but we also have a lot of people coming into the shelter with burns because they've gotten too close to the fire or they've gotten too close the propane tank," said the Rev. Randy Fikki, of Unity Southeast Church.

Fikki started this shelter in his church. Now he's the lead coordinator for the city during extreme temperatures and high demand.

"Right now, we're set up for 100 beds," Fikki said.

He said they will all get used. The shelter has three rooms each filled with snacks, blankets, and first aid.

"We can love them and care for them and let them know that they matter, that they are seen, that they are heard and that they are going to get taken care of," Fikki said.

A Kansas City church steps up to shelter unhoused residents before 'dangerous' cold hits region

KCUR | By Carlos Moreno

Published January 5, 2022 at 4:17 PM CST

Carlos Moreno

/

KCUR 89.3

Rev. Randy Fikki pulls out one of his congregation's usual church-service chairs Monday near where a pile of collected blankets and quilts wait for his Unity Southeast Church to host more houseless people as another cold front moves through the region.

Unity Southeast Church on Meyer Boulevard has gathered 50 cots used last year when Bartle Hall was temporarily used as a warming center. Rev. Randy Fikke says he felt moved to add more shelter space in the face of more extreme weather.

With Kansas City facing more snow and temperatures dropping potentially to 10 below on Wednesday, shelters in the metro are bracing for another influx of people needing to escape the bitter cold.

Beginning Wednesday night, the National Weather Service has predicted "dangerous wind chills" in the area and light snow fall of up to 2 inches.

Last weekend, when the season’s first significant freeze hit the area, Unity Southeast Church on Meyer Boulevard replaced its congregation seating with rows of cots for unhoused people.

Unity Southeast plans to open again at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, and will remain available for overnight sleeping through Friday morning.
James Jones, who has been houseless for 23 years, spent one night in Unity Southeast on Saturday. Usually, he stays in a tent near Admiral Boulevard and The Paseo, but when it comes to cold weather, he says it’s an ongoing struggle.

“The way that this weather’s been lately, and how I figure it’s going to be the rest of the winter, we’re in for it,” Jones says. “And there’s gotta be a more permanent solution to this than just shuffling us around.”

Kansas City’s cold weather response

In November, Kansas City unveiled a new extreme weather plan to better coordinate aid for unhoused residents. The program kicks in when the daytime high is below 32 degrees, or nighttime temperatures drop below 20 degrees.

It calls for, among other things, the city to coordinate more closely with its shelter partners; provide overflow space when shelters are full; and create permanent housing options in the future.

The city also unveiled an online dashboard showing the availability of beds at overnight shelters.

Jones says he carries a cell phone and knows that Kansas City’s dashboard exists, but he’s been frustrated trying to use it.

“It'll be something like it says that you got x amount of beds open,” Jones says. “But in the x amount of time that it took me from talking to you to getting here, that all these beds have mysteriously came up being filled?”

Kansas City Councilmember Ryana Parks-Shaw acknowledged that the first cold snap presented challenges for the city to execute its plan.

“There’s a few hiccups that we’ve had, but fortunately the partners we have had jumped in and been proactive and been flexible and made it successful,” Parks-Shaw said.

Parks-Shaw said the shelters generally update their available bed count at 12:30 p.m. each day for the city’s dashboard. But she said people should still call the shelter to confirm those spaces, because there’s a lag from when the numbers are manually posted to what is currently available.

Kansas City communications director Chris Hernandez said they've also tweaked some bus routes to make it easier to travel between the different warming centers, and are continuing to work with shelters to better keep the dashboard up to date.

In the meantime, Parks-Shaw said people can call the United Way 2-1-1 hotline if they need assistance finding shelter.

“We understand we have a plan,” Parks-Shaw said. “But mother nature dictates how we have to manipulate and change things.”

What happens when the freeze hits

Unity Southeast’s Rev. Randy Fikki said he was grateful for Kansas City’s willingness to help, but feels like the city is repeating the same mistakes it made in previous years in caring for unhoused residents.

As cold weather gripped the region last Thursday, Fikki took matters into his own hands, personally seeking out people on the street to shelter at his church.

Fikki gathered some volunteers, church members and family, and was able to obtain cots used in Bartle Hall last year when the city turned it into a warming center, along with sheets, blankets and pillows.

“I was really baffled why someone wasn’t doing something,” Fikki said.

Fikki and his team set about making flyers and driving around the city collecting anyone who wanted to spend the night in his church. Some people arrived by bus, and one was even dropped off by a police cruiser.

Unity Southeast kept many of their visitors until Sunday, through the Chiefs’ game.

“It was cold outside,” Fikki said. “We just continued to let them in as long as everybody was able to continue to create a community of caretaking.”

Parks-Shaw cited Fikki’s efforts at his church as an example of the community stepping up in the face of the changing conditions.

“If there’s a need that maybe didn’t get identified, people are jumping in and helping,” Parks-Shaw said. “We’re looking for any other partners who are willing to help.”

For the upcoming freeze, Fikki said his church is in dire need of more blankets and food donations.

While James Jones said he was grateful for Unity Southeast’s efforts, he was still uncertain of where he’d go when temperatures drop again. During the day, he spends his time at Hope Faith Homeless Assistance Camps, and was considering just staying in his tent at night.

“You gotta kind of add things like tarps and a blanket over your tent and that kind of insulates it a little bit more,” he said. “I feel that our city leaders and the people that are supposedly out there advocating for this, that and the other for us, I really need them to step up.”

Kansas City Food Banks Expect Long Lines As Missourians Lose Extra Jobless Benefits

KCUR | By Carlos Moreno

Published June 14, 2021 at 4:50 PM CDT

Jo Hickey, Food Pantry Manager at Jewish Family Services, says food is the number one thing people think about when they have to make decisions about where to spend money, but it's not the only challenge they face.

Gov. Mike Parson stopped all federal pandemic-related unemployment programs, effective June 12, in the hopes of incentivizing people to return to the workforce.

Food banks in Kansas City find themselves bracing for another surge of demand from people cut off from supplemental federal unemployment benefits.

Missouri sits among several GOP-led states cutting ties with all federal pandemic-related unemployment insurance programs ahead of schedule. That means that jobless workers in Missouri will soon get $300 a week less in unemployment benefits.

That loss of money, said Ruth Wilson at Unity Southeast Kansas City’s food pantry, means more people will have trouble affording food.

“We'll see an increase,” said Ruth Wilson at Unity Southeast Kansas City’s food pantry. “We'll see an increase in our mobile food events. We'll probably see an increase in the families that will be reaching out to us each week for food.”

Gov. Mike Parson directed the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to stop the larger jobless checks on Saturday. Like other Republican governors, he's said the beefier unemployment checks have discouraged people from returning to work and slowed the economic recovery from the pandemic shutdown.

Those benefits were originally scheduled to end on Sept. 6.

“While these benefits provided supplementary financial assistance during the height of COVID-19, they were intended to be temporary,” Parson said. “And their continuation has instead worsened the workforce issues we are facing. It's time that we end these programs that have ultimately incentivized people to stay out of the workforce.”

Yet Sarah Biles at Harvesters Food Network said people are not simply going to return to work because the supplemental payments will stop.

“There are still a fair amount of people that haven't been vaccinated," Biles said. "They may not feel safe going back to some of those jobs that are out there, like service industry jobs.”

She also cited the time of the year that young people are out of school and will be looking for meals, and parents will also be making decisions about whether or not to stay home with their children.

“We would assume there would be increased need,” said Jo Hickey, the Food Pantry Directory at Jewish Family Services. “It could be food pantry as well as increased need for rent and utility assistance.”

She said people who are out of work are also forced to make decisions about other things to pay for besides food, like mental health services and other services offered by her agency.

Jewish Family Services saw demand for its services basically double last year because of the pandemic.

And Hickey said there are many circumstances for a variety of people that will continue to bring them to the food banks, even if they find work.

“Food is the first thing that people think about,” she said. “Food is a basic right and a basic need.”

But food is not the only problem people will have to conquer when these supplemental funds run out.

“The biggest challenge for many of these families who are losing that benefit will be child care," Hickey said. "How can you return to work without adequate child care? So that’ll be an interesting piece as well.”

Kansas City faith leaders call for police reform after new video surfaces of man's fatal shooting.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —

Faith leaders in Kansas City said they are outraged by what they saw in the latest video of the fatal police shooting of Malcolm Johnson at a BP gas station on March 25.

They said police reforms are needed.

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"When I saw the video, I was flabbergasted. I was astonished. I was saddened. I deeply was hurt for our community," said the Rev. Randy Fikki, of Unity Southeast in Kansas City.

Inside the sanctuary of Concord Fortress of Hope Church, ministers said they believe there were lied to by law enforcement.

"It is not accurate to what the highway patrol has put out," said Khadijah Hardaway.

"This is a policy issue, this is a transparency issue, and this is holding police accountable when things don't go well," said Pastor Ron Lindsay, of the Concord Fortress of Hope Church.

They're calling for the officers involved in the shooting to be removed from duty until the investigation is complete. They also want police Chief Rick Smith to resign or be fired.

"We have to start from the top. This is nothing more than a lynching, and execution against our people," said Anton Washington, a Kansas City activist.

"Why were the videos handed over to us? And the question can be answered easily, it is because the community does not trust police," said the Rev. Emanuel Cleaver III, of St. James United Methodist Church.

"We want Kansas City to be a safe city in every ZIP code and we believe in policing. I want this on the record. But we don't believe in this kind of policing in Kansas City," said pastor Darron Edwards, of United Believers Community Church.

George Floyd’s Lasting Impact On Kansas City, As Told By Protesters And Residents

Published May 25, 2021 at 4:00 AM CDT

Protesters shout "Hands up. Don't Shoot!" on May 31, 2020, at the intersection of Cleaver II Blvd. and Main Street where police had created a barrier to the street on the south side of Mill Creek Park.

Looking back on the protests over George Floyd’s murder, KCUR and 41 Action News captured frustration, desperation, heartache and hope — a national tragedy felt on a local level.

Images of George Floyd in his final moments moved Kansas City, our nation and our world in ways we are just beginning to comprehend.

Looking back on the protests at Mill Creek Park in the days following Floyd’s murder, KCUR and 41 Action News captured frustration, desperation, heartache and hope. People from every corner of our community experienced the 2020 protests from a unique vantage point.

This project is an emotional look at a flash point through all the prisms that bring us our greatest challenges and present our most significant opportunities to grow and heal.

Meet the protestors who rose up to call out a biased and often inequitable system; the officers charged with protecting and serving; the faith leaders who sought to be guided through their moral compasses; and the activists trying to push public policy.

Meet the business owners challenging themselves and their comfort zones; a child who was pepper sprayed on the front lines; the father fighting for dignity; the small town teen who decided to demonstrate and lead a demonstration for the first time; and journalists pushed professionally and personally to capture this moment for today and for the future.

These are the perspectives of a national tragedy felt in a very local way — an examination of the steps to respond and our collective hopes for what Kansas City can become in the years ahead.

Meet the people

Manny Abarca, activist and organizer: "We share the same issues. We live in the same neighborhoods. We grow together and the reality that if this could happen to George Floyd, it can happen to any one of us... There was joy in that we were finally together to protest toward change, so it was beautiful."

Steven Beldin, concerned citizen: "Some of the violence that developed, we weren't down with, but certainly wanted to keep up with what was going on... I'd hope that we all at some point could feel like we're working in a common direction."

Chris Bizzle, protester: "It's about time. It's about time that Black lives do matter... That the fight is not over. We still got to keep up the fight. We still got to keep going."

Bukeka Blakemore, protester: "I think what's happened is that there is awareness. I think that what's happened is there is a greater intolerance for it... If you're on the sidelines, then just stay on the sidelines. Don't impede the process."

Keith Bradley, owner of Made in KC: "As many great things as we have about our city, when it comes to racial inequality, that is one of the biggest areas of growth we have in our city to overcome... Property can be replaced. Things can be replaced, but people when they're gone, that's a whole ‘nother story."

Justin Cartwright, teacher at Coffeyville High School: "Your voice matters no matter where you're from... The power comes from people of different backgrounds with the same goal. That's where the real power comes from... Is there a stigma and an attitude against people of color? Absolutely. That's what we're drawing attention to."

Amy Crouse, concerned citizen: "I was privileged to be able to look away and that is absolutely not lost on me whatsoever... Unbelievable to me. Absolutely unbelievable — murder right out in the open."

Randy Fikki, pastor at Unity Southeast Kansas City: "This is not a riot, this is a rebellion and it needs to happen... I can pray all day long but unless I respond to the answers that I get in prayer, nothing will change."

Adam Hamilton, pastor at Church of the Resurrection: "You couldn't look at that and not say there's something terribly wrong with this... Black lives matter and we have to say it because it's not clear in our country's history, it's not clear in our world today, that we actually believe that."

Kevin Holmes, 41 Action News Anchor: "It's very hurtful as a Black man. It's very hurtful as a journalist. These stories don't get easy to tell... It forced us to look in the mirror as journalists to see how we're dealing with that word empathy, and there have been many times where we haven't."

Chrysalyn Huff, owner of RE Store: "For the first time maybe, white people felt that breaking in a way we had never felt before. I don't think that's a bad thing... I don't feel like I can be a good leader if I am not changing something in my core."

Jeffrey Hughley, Kansas City Police Department Captain: "It's kind of what we're all taught as a child very young: What's right is right, what's wrong is wrong, and whatever side that you're on, or the profession, doesn't excuse that... We hear you. We are definitely here for you. You have more allies than you think you have."

Ron Lindsey, pastor at Concord Fortress of Hope Church: "It is this yearning for the greater good of community... We serve a God who's going to show up in it in some kind of way."

Joel Lovelady, Kansas City Police Department Captain: "I hear people who are frustrated. I hear people who want to have a voice... I can be empathetic. I can seek to understand it. I can listen."

Quinton Lucas, Kansas City Mayor: "I learned how [much] community pain there was. Frankly, I even understood and thought about some of mine... It feels incomplete. I think because we haven't been willing yet, broadly enough, to have that conversation about what fundamentally needs to change... Often it has been criminalized just to be Black and existing in America."

Na'Tya Maddox, protester: "How can somebody be that cruel to sit on someone's neck when they're saying that they can't breathe?... It was kind of uncomfortable. I didn't feel safe."

Tarence Maddox, protester: "They sprayed her at point-blank range and then they sprayed me and just kind of pulled me out into the street with full force... I've forgiven them already but at the end of the day, they have to use better judgment when dealing with civilians."

Chase McAnulty, owner of Charlie Hustle: "The hardest thing I learned is probably what white privilege is... If we can have any kind of part in making this a better place to live, we've got to do it."

Tamera McCullough, protest organizer: "After seeing so many videos and stuff about it, it just made me really angry and I just wanted to speak up and have my voice heard... Honestly, it made us want to do it more. We just want to push harder and show everybody that we can do it peacefully and get our voices heard."

Paula Nepote, protester: "It kept going. It was like it wasn't just a moment — it was a movement... Be brave and be open to the idea of doing things differently and stand up for what you feel is right."

Stacy Shaw, attorney and activist: "If people want a certain type of response, then they need to start listening to the people that are protesting... No matter how much you get the community involved, it's not a community problem. It's a police problem. The police need to fix themselves."

Judy Shiffrin, concerned citizen: "The very least I can certainly put the word out that I am a supporter of Black Lives Matter... We do need to focus on Black lives. We can't just lump everything in as if there's been no inherent racism in this country forever."

Dia Wall, 41 Action News Anchor: "When George Floyd called for his mama, every mother knows what that sounds like and knows that that takes you straight to your heart, because as a mother you want to protect and I think for me, that has never left me... It's real easy to watch the stories on the evening news, turn it off and go back to doing what you were doing, but we've got to get off the sidelines. It's time for everyone to get a little bit uncomfortable."

History of the Kansas City protests

Kansas City protests started Friday, May 29. Hundreds of people gathered for a peaceful protest, but Kansas City, Missouri, police did call additional officers to the scene shortly after 5:30 p.m. as protesters began to block traffic in the area.

Things shifted Saturday, May 30. KCPD arrested more than 50 people protesting the death of George Floyd on the Country Club Plaza.

According to police, at least 10 people were injured, and a car was set on fire. Several businesses were also vandalized, most with broken windows. Jackson County deputies were called in to assist, and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas pleaded for calm.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson issued an executive order declaring a State of Emergency and highway patrol troopers arrived in Kansas City.

41 Action News shared some images gathered in the early days of the protest.

By June 2, KCPD had what it called "the best night so far." Officers adjusted tactics and gave the protestors more room. Things remained largely peaceful.

There were roughly 15 to 20 arrests, and protestors marched freely along Main Street.

A Unity March took place on June 3. After a weekend of more than 150 arrests, local clergy and pastors came out to pray for the officers and take part in a march from the Nelson-Atkins Museum to Mill Creek Park.

Very few arrests were made, but some protesters still said they did not want unity with the police until changes are made.

KCPD Chief Rick Smith announced the department secured funding for police body cameras, one of the demands local protesters made to the department.

One month after George Floyd's death, 41 Action News aired a special report highlighting the parallels between the 1968 race riots and the 2020 demonstrations.

What's happened since

KCPD secured funding for body-worn cameras, an idea that originated in 2015 and was tested to some extent in 2016. Funding had always been a barrier for wider use of the cameras before the protests.

In August 2020, Tarence Maddox filed a lawsuit against KCPD for pepper spraying his teenage daughter in the face at the May 30 protest. He was also sprayed in a video that quickly went viral, racking up millions of views.

In October 2020, Theresa Taylor filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court, Western Missouri Division, alleging that a verbal order made by police to arrested protesters to avoid future protests was never rescinded, and has violated her rights moving forward.

KCPD has since enacted some policy changes. The Missouri State Highway Patrol will now investigate all KCPD officer-involved shootings to avoid a conflict of interest.

Additionally, KCPD now has explicit language banning chokeholds, even though there’s never been training for that technique.

By February 2021, the department had drafted a proposal to nix using “less lethal” weapons for crowd control.

In March 2021, a Jackson County grand jury returned the indictment of Nicholas M. McQuillen for one count of misdemeanor assault for spraying Na'Tya Maddox in the face with pepper spray.

In April 2021, KCPD unveiled a new protest policy in response to calls for police reform. It came one day after a jury found former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of three charges in the murder of George Floyd.

What happens next?

Protests in the Kansas City area continued for weeks.

Thousands of people came to the metro to cry out, with broken hearts — but also with hope the community can rise from this.

Now, as we reflect on the last year, what do you see? Are you listening?

This story is part of 9:29 — The Minutes That Moved Kansas City, a KCUR 89.3 and 41 Action News collaboration about the legacy of George Floyd.

‘Police beat me’: Two Kansas City officers accused in third excessive force complaint

BY BILL LUKITSCH,

GLENN E. RICE , AND

LUKE NOZICKA

APRIL 06, 2021 05:00 AM, UPDATED APRIL 06, 2021 11:23 AM

Video provided by an attorney for Troy Robertson shows his 2019 arrest and alleged assault by Kansas City police officers Officers Charles Prichard and Matthew Brummett. The video is shown on a screen and recorded with a cellphone. BY PROVIDED BY ATTORNEY JAMES WALKER

Two Kansas City police officers sued last week for allegedly beating a man in the summer of 2019 have been accused of two other alleged assaults that year, including a new complaint filed in February.

Officers Charles Prichard and Matthew Brummett, who were indicted last year for their parts in a widely-criticized arrest of a transgender woman, join a list of several Kansas City officers accused of using excessive force more than once.

The latest accusation against the officers came in a lawsuit filed by Troy Robertson, the leader of several community activism initiatives. He alleges the officers injured him so badly in August 2019 that he now suffers from seizures and post-traumatic stress.

Veronica Malone speaks about her journey fromswim coach to transgender rights advocate×

Roberston was at East 35th Street and Prospect Avenue holding a sign with the message “Honk for JJ” when the officers stopped at a red light, according to the lawsuit.

Robertson approached their car, asking them to honk in support. After telling him to get out of the street, the officers got out of their car, threw Robertson on the hood, handcuffed him and struck him several times while he was on the ground, the suit alledeges.

A witness, Brittani Owens, said she was with Robertson and a handful of others holding signs and trying to raise awareness about the death of her brother’s friend.

In an interview with The Star, Owens said the officers drove onto the sidewalk and tried to arrest Robertson. She said Robertson put his hands behind his back, ready to surrender, when they started hitting him and kneeing him.

Owens said she screamed at them to stop. Robertson was taken to the ground, she said, and began foaming at the mouth.

“It was crazy,” Owens said. “I’ve never had anything happen with the police like that at all. It had me scared for my life.”

The officers are further accused of harassing and intimidating Robertson several times since 2015. Robertson’s attorney, James Walker, said it was outrageous that the officers would “attack and brutalize this man who was doing nothing but peacefully holding a sign up.”

Anti-violence activist Troy Robertson is pictured in August 2020 holding a “Rest in Heaven” sign in memory of a gun violence victim at the intersection of 35th Street and Prospect Avenue in Kansas City. Robertson has reported being beaten and mistreated by police several times over the past five years. Jelani Gibson - The Kansas City Star

Both officers have been assigned to plain clothes, non-law enforcement administrative duties, said Capt. David Jackson, a Kansas City Police Department spokesman.

In a separate case, Prichard and Brummett pleaded not guilty to third-degree assault charges in the arrest of Breona Hill, a Black transgender woman, outside of a beauty supply store in 2019. Video showed that Hill’s face was smashed into the concrete sidewalk during the arrest, according to prosecutors.

The arrest of Hill occurred about three months before the alleged assault of Robertson.

‘SAVAGE, PHYSICAL VIOLENCE’

Before the lawsuit last week, a 27-year-old man named Antwoine King filed a federal complaint against Prichard and Brummett from the Jackson County Detention Center, where he is awaiting trial on charges that include robbery and assault.

In his complaint, King said Prichard ran him over twice with his squad car and that the officers beat him while he was handcuffed. He suffered facial fractures and a broken leg, he wrote.

King requested $500,000 and that his hospital bills be paid. Also under his request for relief to a judge, he wrote: “Never for them to work as a police officer or in law enforcement.”

“Police beat me, used excessive force,” King claimed, noting that the officers had been indicted for “almost killing” Hill.

The Rev. Randy Fikki, senior pastor of Unity Southeast Kansas City, said the allegations in the lawsuits and the criminal charges speak to a larger problem.

“Let’s not call it excessive force, let’s call it police brutality,” Fikki said. “Let’s mention that it is savage, physical violence. Officers are put on the force and they should come in with the mentality of, ‘I am here to love people, I am here to make the world better.’ They shouldn’t be adding to the negativity.”

King is accused of having been involved in robbing a victim at a food mart and then a woman at a gas station on June 7, 2019, in south Kansas City. Later that same day, he allegedly shot someone in the arm on the city’s east side and then took police on a chase that ended in a crash at Blue Parkway and Eastwood Trafficway. King got out and fled on foot until he was arrested, police said.

When he was booked into the jail, King’s mugshot shows bruising around his eyes and nose. It is unclear how he received the injuries. He could not immediately be reached for comment.

In a court filing, Prichard and Brummett acknowledged they arrested King that day but they denied wronging him. They also denied that his claims “involve medical treatment.”

As part of his pending criminal case, King — who is representing himself — attached an email to a motion that appeared to be Kansas City police’s response to a request for so-called “Giglio” material, which could be used to impeach a witness. In the confidential email, the department’s general counsel said a 2013 internal investigation found that Prichard “was deceptive.”

It remained unclear what that internal investigation was about. Jackson, the police spokesman, said the department considers internal investigations “protected personnel matters.”

Jackson also said the department does not comment on pending legal issues “in order to be fair to all sides.” The department, he said, continues to engage residents on a number of “community interaction initiatives.”

Prichard and Brummett remain on administrative assignment while the Hill case is ongoing. The officers maintain their use of force was justified in her arrest and their attorneys have said they “vehemently dispute the basis” of the charges.

Play VideoDuration 4:30Video of police officers forcibly arresting Breona "BB" Hill on a Kansas City sidewalk

Roderick Reed, 52, shot video of the May 24 arrest of Breona "BB" Hill, 30, of Kansas City. Hill was arrested on suspicion of trespassing, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. BY FOOTAGE RECORDED FROM RODERICK REED'S MOBILE PHONE | TORIANO PORTER

Two additional lawsuits have been brought against the officers. Both are on hold pending the outcome of the criminal case, which is scheduled for trial in December.

One of the lawsuits was filed by Roderick Reed, who was prosecuted of a city ordinance for failing to move his car while he videotaped Hill’s arrest. He started recording after he saw one of the officers strike Hill with a closed fist, according to court records. Mayor Quinton Lucas later pardoned Reed, saying at the time that citizens “have a right to film police conduct.”

Mike Mansur, a spokesman for Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, declined to comment on whether prosecutors knew about the other excessive use of force allegation against Prichard and Brummett because the case against them is ongoing.

The Rev. Darron Edwards, lead pastor of the United Believers Community Church in south Kansas City, said the number of deaths and injuries of people, many of them unarmed, at the hands of police officers is devastating.

“Such excessive force by police is particularly disturbing given its disproportionate impact on people of color,” Edwards said. “I believe KCPD needs a zero tolerance policy that holds law enforcement accountable to treat all communities with dignity, employs restraint on police power and uses only the degree of force necessary to maintain the community’s safety.

“If Brummett and Prichard used force outside of this zero tolerance policy, they should be fired,” he added.

Breona “BB” Hill received the injuries in the left photo after a violent altercation with Kansas City Police Department officers that was caught on video by a passerby. PHOTOS SUPPLIED BY HILL'S ATTORNEY

In 2018, Brummett and Prichard were among six officers to receive the police department’s Medal of Valor.

The two received the department’s highest award for helping capture a suspect who set fire to a home with others inside, according to KMBC-TV. A police news release at the time said the officers and two sergeants did so “with explosions happening all around them.”

LARGER PATTERN

Prichard and Brummett are among five Kansas City police officers who have been indicted in the last 10 months in four cases alleging violent crimes against Black people.

Sheryl Ferguson, a community activist and an organizer with It’s Time 4 Justice, said the multiple allegations show a lack of leadership in the police department.

“We have a department full of bad actors. We have a police chief who does everything to protect his bad actors, and he does nothing to correct their bad behaviors,” Ferguson said. “It’s a culture that has to change.”

Jackson, a spokesman for the department, took issue with Ferguson’s comments, calling them ridiculous.

“We remain committed to working with members of our community and stakeholders that share the vision of making Kansas City Missouri a safer place,” he wrote in an email. “People who make outlandish, unverifiable and ridiculous statements, that would would not stand up to the slightest scrutiny, are people who hinder that progress.”

Other police officers have shot unarmed people and been accused of excessive force more than once.

In 2019, Officer Dylan Pifer fatally shot 30-year-old Terrance Bridges. Pifer told investigators he thought Bridges had a gun, but Bridges was unarmed. A grand jury ruled that no charges would be filed. Bridges’ family sued Pifer; that case is set for trial in June.

Pifer, along with Sgt. Matthew Neal, was also sued in an excessive force case that resulted in a $725,000 settlement. Neal was charged with assault in that case after he allegedly forced his knee on the back of a teenager’s head during an arrest, causing his teeth to break.

In 2020, Officer Blayne Newton fatally shot 24-year-old Donnie Sanders, who was unarmed. Prosecutors said there was not sufficient evidence to charge Newton. During an arrest months later, Newton allegedly put his knee on the back of a pregnant Black woman who had her belly on the ground.

That night, police also arrested Robertson — the activist who last week sued Prichard and Brummett.

Robertson previously told The Star he has reported four police incidents to the department’s Office of Community Complaints. Police said the OCC exonerated the officers in two of the complaints, one of which was against Brummett. Two of the complaints were closed because Robertson chose not to cooperate as he planned a lawsuit.

Another officer, Dakota Merrill, was involved in shooting two Black men in separate incidents in 2013 and 2016. He has left the department, but the shootings resulted in a combined $6.3 million in settlements.

The Star’s Humera Lodhi contributed to this report.

Unity Southeast gives away Over 25,000 pounds of food to people in need

By: Gabriella Pagán

Posted at 10:04 PM, Mar 26, 2021

and last updated 10:58 PM, Mar 26, 2021

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Month by month and car by car, volunteers like Crystal Wilson dole out more than 7,000 pounds of healthy food to those in need outside the Unity Southeast Ministry in in Kansas City, Missouri.

“It’s a blessing,” said Kimberly Abernathy, who stopped by for some food to take home on Friday afternoon.

Unity Southeast feels blessed to be able to provide for those who need the help.

“The reality is, while there is a need, there’s enough," Wilson said. "We have all of this food … so clearly there’s enough to make sure we can get food to the people. It’s just getting the people and the food in the same space.”

Sometimes, that happens by sheer luck.

“At this time of my life, I need a little help,” said Jewell Coleman, who was on the way to the grocery store with her friend Janae when they stumbled upon the Unity Southeast drive-thru food pantry.

She said it was a blessing.

“Something said turn around and come this way, and I see why,” Coleman said. “God always puts it on our heart. He put it on our heart to turn around, because God knows what we need and I appreciate it.“

Now, with nearly two weeks worth of food, Coleman has one important need met thanks to the community coming together.

“The idea is we want you to be able to be full and to be whole, not just to fill your belly for a little bit, but to fill your belly so that we can move on and address some other issues as well,” Wilson said.

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and with some sectors of the economy still struggling with health-related restrictions, the Unity Southeast event provided a much-needed cause for happiness.

“People are excited," Wilson said. "People are out here looking good and smelling good and doing good, and we’re just here to help them continue being good."

She also reminds people to be happy, “It’s a decision. ... You do what you can. If we all do what we can, everybody will be good."

‘Defend Black Life’: KC marchers head down Ward, demanding justice for Donnie Sanders

BY CORTLYNN STARK

MARCH 06, 2021 06:41 PM, UPDATED MARCH 06, 2021 09:26 PM

Supporters of justice for Donnie Sanders joined his family members in a march. The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office said there was insufficient evidence to charge Officer Blayne Newton, who fatally shot Sanders in March last year. BY JILL TOYOSHIBA | CORTLYNN STARK

Reshonda Sanders, the little sister of Donnie Sanders who was shot and killed by police last year, said during a Saturday protest that she just wants justice.

“We just want justice,” she said. “We just want justice.”

A group of more than 50 protesters marched along Ward Parkway from Arno Park to Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker’s house Saturday afternoon to call for justice for Donnie Sanders. The prosecutor’s office announced this week that the Kansas City police officer, 24-year-old Blayne Newton, who shot Sanders will not be charged.

Top VideosWATCH MOREDove release marks 40 years since Kansas CityHyatt skywalk collapse stole 114 lives×

Donnie Sanders’ older sister, Youlanda Sanders, said he didn’t deserve to die for a traffic stop.

“Man I miss my little brother,” she said, adding that she has also lost her son. “I’m tired. This ain’t right.”

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Several dozen people joined family members of Donnie Sanders to march for justice. The Jackson County ProsecutorÕs Office said there was insufficient evidence to charge Officer Blayne Newton, who fatally shot Sanders in March last year. The march started at Arno Park at Ward Parkway and W. 69th Street, where General Indigenous Xi, right, with Revolutionary Black Panther Party of KC, spoke. SandersÕ sisters, Reshonda Sanders, from second left, Youlanda Sanders and march organizer Anton Washington listen. Jill Toyoshiba JTOYOSHIBA@KCSTAR.COM

Donnie Sanders’ family had two demands for Baker: to release a complete copy of the police investigation file and a complete copy of all evidence that Baker reviewed when making the decision to not prosecute the officer.

“We’re going to keep going ... until we get some form of justice,” Reshonda Sanders said. Her brother wasn’t doing anything wrong, she said. They want the officer held accountable.

“We demand for Officer Newton to be held accountable for his actions and that’s all we’re asking,” Reshonda Sanders said, “for him to be held accountable.”

The officer fatally shot 47-year-old Donnie Sanders on March 12, 2020, near Prospect and Wabash Avenues. Newton said he believed Sanders was armed, police said.

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The Missouri State Highway Patrol reviewed the investigation last year after the prosecutor’s office handed the case over once KCPD had completed its review. The highway patrol began investigating fatal and non-fatal shootings by members of the Kansas City Police Department on June 13. That day, an officer shot and killed William Slyter.

Baker said Monday that there was insufficient evidence to file charges in Sanders’ case.

Newton is the same officer whose arrest of a pregnant Black woman in September is under review.

During the protests last summer, Sanders’ was among four names of Kansas City men chanted by protesters. The others: Ryan Stokes, Cameron Lamb and Terrance Bridges.

As protesters marched down the street, several neighbors came outside to watch as protesters chanted “no justice, no peace.” One man clapped and said “thank you.” Teenagers sat on porch steps. Others took video. And as protesters stood in a circle outside Baker’s home, an occasional bicyclist pedaled through the crowd.

Baker later responded to the Saturday protest on Twitter saying she supported the peaceful protest that took place outside her house.

“I fully support the right to peacefully protest. That includes the protest that occurred at my home today,” she said. “I do question those few people who decided to carry and display rifles at a peaceful protest, to block traffic, and to vandalize a car, which also occurred today.”

During the Saturday march, police responded after a car, which was stopped before trying to drive through the intersection at 69th Street and Ward Parkway, hit a protester at low speed. It did not appear the person hit was injured. The protester hit the car with his hand and others yelled at the driver for hitting a marcher.

At least seven patrol cars responded. Police walked one protester away with his hands behind his back. Kansas City police said the man was arrested for investigation of property damage. The driver, spokesman Sgt. Jake Becchina said, was a victim of property damage.

There were a few other confrontations with cars trying to make their way across the roadway. Protesters chanted “hold this space” and continued calls for justice.

Kansas Citians celebrate end of child separation policy

By: Ariel Rothfield

Posted at 9:47 PM, Jun 20, 2018

and last updated 10:20 PM, Jun 20, 2018

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With signs in their hands and candles lit, dozens of people stood outside Kansas City's Unity Southeast Church Tuesday to show support for families who have been detained and separated.

"Whatever country you are born in, that doesn't mean you're better or worse person. Everyone deserves to be safe," said Gladys Hanna-White.

Just hours before the scheduled rally, President Donald Trump signed an executive order stopping agents from separating children and parents detained at the border.

For Rev. Randy Fikki, this act was a "good step forward."

"This is the beginning of the dialogue. What we have to understand is that there are still children right now that are separated from their families," said Fikki.

Despite Trump's order, the Department of Health and Human Services said it is still awaiting further guidance on how to reunite children with their detained parents.

Until that is resolved, Fikki said he and others in the Kansas City community will continue to fight.

Free health conference seeks to educate men of color about sexual, mental, physical health

Posted at 4:30 AM, Dec 13, 2019

and last updated 5:33 AM, Dec 13, 2019

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A free health conference Saturday seeks to educate men of color.

Thrive Health Connection, formerly known as the Good Samaritan Project, is hosting the "Think Like A Man" Men's Health & Empowerment Conference. Organizers said the goal is to open the conversation about sexual, mental, physical and financial health for African American and Latino men.

"I think one of the biggest things stigma-wise, when it comes to men of color, is we don't actually take care of our health. We're taught to be providers, but the health is the last thing we really focus on," said Langston Jones, the community prevention specialist at Thrive Health Connection.

Jones spearheaded the conference, saying the idea came as he thought about his generation. He believes that while some men put the focus on partying and having a good time, they often times forget to think about their health holistically and taking care of one another.

The conference will bring in several speakers, including Craig Donnell, Jr., a health and life coach, and Rev. Randy Fikki. From the medical field, Dr. Jerald Payne will bring his knowledge as a psychotherapist and Obie Arthur is a family nurse practitioner. Management consultant Kiwan R. Lawson will also speak at the conference.

It will be at the Kauffman Foundation from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14. Breakfast and lunch will be served.

Locals mourn loss of civil rights icon, remember his impact

Greg Payne, Zoe Brown

PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS (KCTV) – John Lewis was an iconic figure, both as a politician and a civil rights activist. He left an impact on the entire nation, including KC.

He was somebody Judy Hellman, the former Associate Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Bureau/American Jewish Committee, truly looked up to.

“When you say Dr. King and what happened in the civil rights movement, you are also saying John Lewis,” she said. “He said, ‘We walked together, we stood together, and we bled together,’ and it’s where we all need to be and continue to be. His words a watch word for our whole country. Always have been and always will be.”

In 2013, she got a chance to hear the words of John Lewis during her agency’s award ceremony in Kansas City.

Later on, she got a chance to take a picture with him.

“Probably one of the highlights of my life,” she said.

John Lewis’ legacy still lives on despite his death as many are fighting for America to unite and, in Lewis’ words, “reconcile and not divide.”

“John Lewis, I am so grateful for your work,” said Rev. Randy Fikki with Unity Southeast Kansas City. “I know that you walk alongside now, and I just say Godspeed on your travel and have a safe journey.”

Black Lives Matter protest calls for change, unity in Brookside

Unity Southeast in Kansas City took its Sunday protest to a new location to reach more people.

Updated: 11:24 PM CDT Aug 2, 2020

Emily Holwick 

Protesters took to the streets of Brookside Sunday, demanding social justice. KMBC 9 spoke with a march leader, who says there has been some progress, but there’s still a long way to go.“People united will never be divided,” chanted protesters, as their powerful message echoed through Brookside. Unity Southeast in Kansas City brought their usual Sunday gathering to a new neighborhood. “Today we decided to take it to Brookside because we, as a group, have not been here yet to do a protest,” said one of the organizers Reverend Randy Fikki.

Fikki has been part of more than 40 protests all over the metro. He helped bring multiple groups together Sunday, for what they called the "Brookside Brigade.” “I think the easiest way to start bringing different sides together is to get our side to kind of align and have a simple message,” he said, “and come out and share that message with our community.”

The reverend is encouraged by the number and variety of people joining forces for a common goal. “We are looking and seeing more young people, more Hispanic people, Asian people, white people, Black people, Indigenous people, gay people, straight people,” he said. “What that tells me is that people understand that this is not a moment, it is a movement.”

He hopes even more people will be inspired to join their call for change. "If you're not aligned with the fact that people should live and people should be given a chance to prove who they are before we see the color of their skin, there's an issue there and you're part of the problem, not part of the solution.”

The group from Unity Southeast in Kansas City usually marches in the Swope Park area every Sunday. They invite everyone to join them.

Protesters bring Black Lives Matter movement into communities

By: Emma James

Posted at 5:25 PM, Jun 07, 2020

and last updated 6:32 PM, Jun 07, 2020

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Protesters marched down East Meyer Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri, on Sunday, starting at Unity Southeast Church.

Rev. Randy Fikki organized the march and said he wanted to bring the Black Lives Matter movement away from the Country Club Plaza for other parts of the city to see and hear.

"There is power in gathering and community," Fikki said.

Fikki said he wanted to incorporate faith into the movement while continuing to demand change for black lives.

"I think one of the main reasons why we're seeing so much anger and frustration is you have an entire group of people who have not been seen and not been heard," Fikki said.

Protesters, according to Fikki, want to see body cameras on all police officers and locally controlled police jurisdictions.

For Gregg Hollins, he hopes violence doesn't overshadow the message that enough is enough.

"If two or three get it, then that's two or three more people," Hollins said. "It's all about trying to get your word out there in the right way, in a positive way."

Hollins said diversity in marches, like Sunday's, is huge, and he applauds the younger generations for helping lead the way.

18-year-old Eve Rauyer participated in Sunday's march with family members.

"It's not my job to be the face of the movement, but I'm here to support in whatever way I can," Rauyer said.

Fikki said he hopes the momentum continues and the people who come out to march never stop.

"As the light continues to grow, I know that when another group starts to experience darkness we'll be able to be that light for them as well," Fikki said.

Dozens come together downtown for March on KC

Dozens come together downtown for March on KC

Saturday, September 5th 2020, 11:32 AM EDT

By Emily Rittman

KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- Civil rights groups rallied with faith leaders, families, and allies to call for an end to racism and police brutality during the March on KC.The event on Friday commemorated the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington.The crowd walked up the steps to the lawn in front of the National WWI Museum and Memorial. There, speakers called for change.“This nation was born out of protest,” said Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II. “It is as American as America. We have not only the right to protest but we are negligent if we don’t protest when we see wrong.”“I’m so grateful for the shoulders that we stand on today,” said Reverend Randy Fikki with Unity Southeast in KC. “I’m so saddened that we’ve only come this far.”“Marching to the Liberty Memorial designates a place that is represented by those who fought for freedom, those who fought for Liberty,” Fikki said.Before reaching the memorial, the group gathered near 12th and Locust near City Hall and the KCPD headquarters.

“Chief Smith must go,” said Dr. Vernon Howard, President of the SCLC Greater Kansas City Chapter.

Organizers of the March on KC are calling for the firing or resignation of Kansas City, Missouri Police Chief Rick Smith.

“Kansas City is still plagued with the disease of racism as it manifests itself through police brutality within the KCPD,” said Dr. Howard.

“I’m sick and tired of the damage and carnage that is being dealt upon Black lives in this country,” said Gwendolyn Grant, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City. “George Floyd. Say his name. Breonna Taylor. Say her name.”

The mother of Ryan Stokes, who was shot and killed by Kansas City police, spoke to the crowd.

“I’ve been fighting since July 28, 2013,” Narene Stokes said. “Seven years. Seven years too long. It’s a long time coming. We are going to make a change.”

Valorie Taylor joined the March on KC and said, “That’s why I’m here today; to make a difference. To prove to him [her son] that when you march and step up things can change for the better.”

Minister Keith Brown also joined the march. He said, “There is definitely work to be done. A transformation in police and community relations.”

In February, a federal judge granted the officer who shot Ryan Stokes official immunity in a wrongful death lawsuit. A grand jury cleared the officers involved of wrongdoing.

George Floyd: What protesters say is fueling their anger

By Jackson Delong -May 31, 2020

“There needs to be change, officers need to be trained better,” one protester who was arrested in Atlanta informed CNN’s Nick Valencia as he was being detained by police.An absence of change and police reform are simply among the causes individuals are enraged.“This protest is not just about George Floyd, and when people are looking at these protesters — this rebellion that’s going on around the country — I hope they have some empathy because these people are going home. We are going home, black folk are going home, brown folk are going home and drinking dirty water, going to poor schools, not having access to quality care and so this is bubbling over,” stated CNN political commentator Bakari Sellers.MinneapolisLeslie Redmond, president of Minneapolis NAACP“What you’re witnessing in Minnesota is something that’s been a long time coming,” Redmond informed CNN affiliate WCCO-TV.“I can’t tell you how many governors I’ve sat down with, how many mayors we’ve sat down with. And we’ve warned them that if you keep murdering black people, the city will burn. We have stopped the city from burning numerous times, and we are not responsible for it burning now.”Payton Bowdry, 22“We have to advocate for justice, true justice to happen,” Bowdry informed CNN.Bowdry stated issues getting violent weren’t a part of the plan.“Riots were not part of the protests,” he stated. “The looting and rioting wasn’t in George Floyd’s name.”Alicia Smith, a neighborhood organizer“There are no words in the English language that will convey the despair that I felt watching that man’s life leave his body and him scream out for his mother,” Smith informed CNN. “I heard my son saying, ‘Mama, save me.'”“My kids are little boys, and my son asked me, ‘Am I going to live to be a grown-up?'” she informed CNN. “I’ve got to ruin his innocence and tell him how to exist as a young black boy in this country.”Shanene Herbert, neighborhood organizer“They (young people) have experienced trauma,” she informed CNN. “Seeing your friends, your families and even yourself harassed by the police and killed by the police, it’s traumatic. And they don’t know what to do with that.”CharlotteKass Ottley, a neighborhood activist“There are a lot of things that need to change for us to move forward, but I think everybody needs to be honest about what the real problems are,” Ottley informed CNN affiliate WCCB-TV. “How many times can you address the same issue and see nothing change.”Greg Jackson, the founding father of Heal Charlotte“You have to remember that they ain’t mad at one situation,” Jackson informed WCCB. “It’s systematic change that needs to happen.”Atlanta“Everyone’s ready for a change, ready to get together,” a girl recognized as Bambara informed CNN affiliate WSB-TV. She additionally stated the stakes have been too excessive to remain at dwelling.“I literally can’t breathe, can’t think, because I know at any time my life, or my brother’s or my friends’ life are in danger just because of the color of their skin,” she stated.New YorkGwen Carr, mom of Eric Garner“This is just opening up an old wound and pouring salt into it,” Carr informed CNN affiliate WABC-TV on Thursday. “The police officers come into our neighborhoods to brutalize, terrorize, and murder our children, and we have done nothing.”DenverMax Bailey, 22Bailey was tossed from the hood of a automotive throughout a protest and informed CNN affiliate KDVR-TV he’d do it once more. Bailey stated he jumped on the hood of a black SUV as a result of he was nervous the driving force may run him over.“If you can tell me something better for me to do — if you can tell me a way that we could change the world without trying to make noise like that, then I’ll get out of the streets. If you can show me the path, I’ll get out of the streets,” he stated. “I won’t stand in front of no cars anymore if there’s an easy path.”Kansas CityRandy Fikki, protester“If you don’t speak up and don’t say anything, you’re just like the officers that stood by and watched,” Fikki informed CNN affiliate WDAF-TV, including many individuals attempt to ignore race or say they do not see shade. He believes that is a part of the issue.“Your ignorance is not proof of your innocence,” he stated. “The fact that you are remaining ignorant, you are no different than the individual who had their knee on that gentlemen’s neck.”Anna Maria Kretzer, mom of 10-year-old boy“I have to have a talk with him to make sure he doesn’t grow up to be one of those cops who kills a black man or a black woman,” she informed WDAF. “I have to make sure that cycle doesn’t continue to him.”Portland, OregonChelsea Peterson, protester“I protested tonight to point out my solidarity with my black brothers and sisters which can be being brazenly murdered within the streets by the individuals which can be speculated to be defending them. I protested for the entire black girls who die disproportionately in youngster delivery in comparison with their white counterparts. I protested for black males who’re disproportionately arrested and convicted for crimes in comparison with their white counterparts. And I protested for black kids which can be shot over baggage of Skittles.“I protested because black lives matter and because it is not enough to simply share a post or use a hashtag, and because silence is complicity. It was important for me as a white person to actually show up because it is our responsibility to dismantle the systems of oppression that we have created.”Oakland, CaliforniaMackenzie Slagle, protester“I participated as a result of it is about time this police brutality has to cease. I do not agree with breaking into the entire companies, however I can perceive the outrage after repeated incidents. We’ve peacefully protested all of these… it wasn’t till Minneapolis bought violent they lastly arrested a police officer. This is actually historical past in the truth that there’s precise motion being taken in opposition to police brutality. I could not keep silent and watch this occur once more. I’m hoping this time — our nation can see the severity of this local weather.“I’m a white woman, and I needed to show up for all my brothers and sisters. I needed to show that this isn’t okay to ME. That could be my friend. I needed to be there and show I want change.”Charlotte, North CarolinaCraig Maxwell, protester“I’ve been speaking to a number of of my black mates the final day or two and listening to what they are going via. A number of introspection and recognizing that I do not put my cash the place my mouth is sufficient. Basically, I used to be there as a result of they have been there, if that is smart.“I couldn’t keep waiting for there to be something more immediate in my life that got me out there. It can’t be about me; otherwise, it won’t work. I needed to step up my advocacy. I showed myself more of what I was capable of tonight and it helped me connect to purpose for why I should protest. As uncomfortable as I may have been, not everyone gets to walk away from the situation just because it’s uncomfortable… Until you’re there looking someone in the eye, you’re not connecting with them as fully as you should.”

So Tired...

WE ARE SO TIRED😓
We can’t go jogging (#AmaudArbery).

We can’t relax in the comfort of our own homes (#BothemSean and #AtatianaJefferson).

We can't ask for help after being in a car crash (#JonathanFerrell and #RenishaMcBride).

We can't have a cellphone (#StephonClark).

We can't leave a party to get to safety (#JordanEdwards).

We can't play loud music (#JordanDavis).

We can’t sell CD's (#AltonSterling).

We can’t sleep (#AiyanaJones)

We can’t walk from the corner store (#MikeBrown).

We can’t play cops and robbers (#TamirRice).

We can’t go to church (#Charleston9).

We can’t walk home with Skittles (#TrayvonMartin).

We can’t hold a hair brush while leaving our own bachelor party (#SeanBell).

We can’t party on New Years (#OscarGrant).

We can’t get a normal traffic ticket (#SandraBland).

We can’t lawfully carry a weapon (#PhilandoCastile).

We can't break down on a public road with car problems (#CoreyJones).

We can’t shop at Walmart (#JohnCrawford) .

We can’t have a disabled vehicle (#TerrenceCrutcher).

We can’t read a book in our own car (#KeithScott).

We can’t be a 10yr old walking with our grandfather (#CliffordGlover).

We can’t decorate for a party (#ClaudeReese).

We can’t ask a cop a question (#RandyEvans).

We can’t cash our check in peace (#YvonneSmallwood).

We can’t take out our wallet (#AmadouDiallo).

We can’t run (#WalterScott).

We can’t breathe (#EricGarner).

We can’t live (#FreddieGray).

We’re tired.

Tired of making hashtags.

Tired of another life being taken.

#Heartbroken #praying #justice

If You Too Are Tired... Please Share...

One Year Later, Kansas City Pulls Together Another Women's March

KCUR | By Andrea Tudhope

One year after the Women's March on Washington swept cities across the world, including Kansas City, Missouri, Randy Fikki's 9-year-old daughter asked him why there wouldn't be a local march this year.

"I didn't have an answer for that," Fikki says.

So, with less than 24 hours to go, he began organizing a march and rally for Saturday afternoon. Around 200 people gathered at Brookside Park for a three-mile march to Unity Southeast church, near Swope Park, where Fikki is an interfaith minister.

Fikki gives his daughter, Bella, all the credit. 

"She feels honored and heard, which is the same thing women have been striving to feel for so many centuries" Fikki says.

Last year, the global protest took place the day after the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump last January, intended to advocate for issues beyond just women's rights. The movement came under scrutiny across the world for not being inclusive or intersectional.

Friday, Women's March Inc. put out a statement encouraging those who march this weekend to consider their surroundings: 

"We ask that you look around you when you march this weekend. Think about who is leading. Think about who is not. Notice who is present and who is absent. Think about why. Think about why the presence of police checkpoints will make communities of color feel unwelcome. Think about why the lack of an accessible route, stage or event space will make it difficult or impossible for disabled people to attend."

Jacquie Lenati, one of the organizers of Saturday's event, embraces the scrutiny. 

"It's important to identify marginalized groups within an oppressed group," she says. "So you have indigenous women, women of color, trans, non-binary, queer and non-normative... It's important to reach into the depth of what it means to be a woman, and make sure we include all people."

When Unity Temple Reverend Nhien Dougherty was asked to be a speaker on Saturday, she canceled her other plans.

"I was like, 'Hey! There are no Asians in this gender-oriented thing,'" Dougherty said.

Dougherty came to the United States from Vietnam in 1975 as a political refugee.

"I don't purport to speak on behalf of all of my race, or gender, but to represent a minority and begin to have our voices heard."

Though the crowd this year was a fraction of last year's estimated 5,000, Lenati doesn't feel the momentum has waned. But she says the focus has narrowed.

"This year, we don't march, we run," Lenati said to the crowd when they made it to the church.

Rebecca Tombaugh attended the rally Saturday. Before the 2016 election, she says she didn't protest. Now, she volunteers for the Greater Kansas City Women's Political Caucus, getting word out to women to run for office, and supporting women candidates. She also bakes "protest pies." 

"Protest, apple pie, they go together," she laughs. "Very American."

Andrea Tudhope is a reporter for KCUR 89.3. Email her at andreat@kcur.org, and follow her on Twitter @_tudhope.

About 2,000 gather in KC to be 'a voice for the children' in immigration rally

BY LAUREN FOX JUNE 30, 2018 05:33 PM , UPDATED JUNE 30, 2018 07:46 PM

Listening to phone recordings of separated migrant children speaking with their parents, Laura Alcazar thought of her own family.

“They’re just treating them so wrong,” she said through tears. “And when I hear the phone calls that they recorded I just hear my mom’s voice, I just imagine one of my brothers or sisters being in there, and no one wanting to help them, just because they’re a different color, they’re from a different country.”

Alcazar, a 20-year-old first generation Honduran immigrant who attends Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kan., held one side of an American flag tied to a Honduran flag, and her brothers held the opposite side. “We’re just here being a voice for the children,” she said.

Alcazar was one of an estimated 2,000 people who braved the upper 90s heat at the Families Belong Together rally in Penn Valley Park on Saturday.

Equipped with fans, bucket hats, water, umbrellas and signs, the attendees protested the separation of migrant children from their families and called for their reunification. Some also called for the termination of ICE and impeachment of President Donald Trump.

The Kansas City rally was one of more than 600 held across the country on Saturday, organized by the Families Belong Together coalition, which “opposes the inhumane policies of the Trump administration, Border Patrol, and I.C.E. and calls for immediate reform.”

More than 2,300 children have been separated from their families at the Mexico-U.S. border since May as part of Trump’s “zero-tolerance” policy. Nine of these children were placed in The Villages, a Topeka nonprofit.

On June 20, Trump issued an executive order that stopped the separation of families at the border. But that was not enough for today’s protesters.

Cassandra Woolworth, the organizer of the Kansas City rally, said she will not stop rallying “until every child is reunited and out of prison.”

“And I am calling it prison,” she said. “It’s not they’re locked up, it’s not jail, it is prison with your family. We’re doing internment camps. That’s bad.”

The protesters, who ranged in age and race, shouted the phrases “Defund ICE,” “Free the children,” and “Yes we can.” They yelled in English and Spanish. A big push was made to register voters, and people at the rally walked around with clipboards helping those unregistered to sign up.

“The next time you vote I want you to vote for love,” said the Rev. Randy Fikki from Unity Southeast Church, a speaker at the event.

“If we center in on love and we know that we love ourselves, we know that we love our neighbors regardless of what country of origin they come from, regardless of what border they came through, regardless of what they’re leaving or regardless of what they are trying to achieve, we must look at it first with love,” he said.

Ten-year-old Eleni Rousis said when she heard migrant children were separated from their parents she thought it was terrible, that it should be stopped, and “that we should be grateful for what we have.”

Another crowd-arousing speaker was Dr. Socorro Herrera, a professor from Kansas State University’s College of Education, who crossed the border illegally as a child with her mother and brother to be reunited with her father.

“Today, I’m paralyzed and I am in pain. Because what our children are going through at the border doesn’t even begin to touch what I went through.... It is inconceivable that in this country we would hurt people,” she said.

“I challenge you as I continue to challenge myself to do something beyond today. Translate, drive somebody, go into schools, become involved in school boards.”

The rally raised money that will go to the organization Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation, who will use the money to support asylum-seeking migrant families affected by detainment and deportation orders.