Exhibit tells history of Troost over 200 years

A new exhibition titled “Two-Hundred Years on Troost” is now on display at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center.

The exhibition, which will be up until Oct. 31, tells the story of the evolution of Troost Avenue from its early years, including the times when the street was a hunting ground for Native Americans and when it became the site of one of the largest slave plantations in Jackson County.

The exhibit is made up of 11 text panels that allow visitors to learn about the era of “Millionaire’s Row,” a stretch along Troost where Kansas City’s early elite lived. The exhibit also explores the days when Troost Avenue, the longest street in Kansas City, represented the city’s racial dividing line — blacks to the east side and whites to the west.

Finally, the exhibit explores Troost Avenue today and in the future. A MAX bus line is planned for Troost. And a new bridge over Brush Creek across Troost Avenue is on the way.

The exhibition is based on research by the Rev. David Altschul, executive director of Reconciliation Services, a faith-based organization located at 31st Street and Troost.

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Raul Yzaguirre, the former CEO of the National Council of La Raza, told the audience at the Blanco y Negro Awards Gala that a paradigm shift had occurred in America when it came to Latinos.

“We use words like minority when they are no longer applicable,” Yzaguirre told the audience assembled in the ballroom at Bartle Hall. “We can no longer differentiate between the interest of Latinos and the interest of America. We can’t have education reform for Latinos without having it for everybody. For so many of our school districts around the nation, we are the majority.”

The importance of education to the Latino community can be understated, Yzaguirre said.

“The civil rights issue of this century perhaps is education,” Yzaguirre said. “It’s the investment in human beings, which will make America stronger.”

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Gary Jenkins, a local attorney, will premiere his documentary, “Negroes To Hire,” at a forum on slavery in Missouri at the Unitarian Church on the Plaza on Oct. 11. Experts used in the film will be present at the forum, which begins at 10 a.m.

The one-hour documentary explores how slavery differed in Missouri as opposed to the South. The film includes actual narratives of slaves that have been archived by Lincoln University in Jefferson City.

“I have people read the narratives in the vernacular of the time,” Jenkins said. “I have all the images in the film I could get from the Smithsonian and the National Archives. … People who have seen it have said it gave them different information.”

To reach Steve Penn, call 816-234-4417 or send e-mail to spenn@kcstar.com.

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