Kansas City film critic wants to create a legacy with Black Movie Hall of Fame
Imagine having every major accomplishment and moment you’ve had on full display. Whether it’s your first driver's license, or a national award, your whole life is laid out for everyone to see.
That was the case for FOX4 movie critic Shawn Edwards, as his 25-year career as a film critique took center stage Saturday night. His life is also part of an exhibit in the 18th & Vine neighborhood.
Edwards is the director of the Black Movie Hall of Fame, which honors the contributions of Black actors, directors and producers. On Saturday, Feb. 28, he sat down to discuss his career, the film industry, and his aspirations for the hall of fame.
His sit-down was held at the Black Archives Of Mid-America, 1722 E. 17th Terrace. If you didn’t know anything about Edwards, you could probably learn his whole life the minute you stepped into the building.
Any piece of Edwards’ memorabilia could be found in his exhibit. His old press passes, clothes with significant meaning, pictures of his childhood were just some of many items on display that could tell the story about Edwards’ acclaimed career as a film critic.
Arguably the most riveting pieces displayed were movies posters and DVD boxes that featured Edwards’ review on the film. “Highly entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny!” was a quote from Edwards’ that was featured on the poster for the 2005 film “Hitch.” That was just one of over 3,500 movies he’s reviewed, during a career that has allowed him to interview over 500 celebrities.
“The thing that’s really cool with me is when movies use something I said on Fox4 and put it in those ads. Because they don’t make ads like that anymore,” Edwards told The Star. “So those were amazing accomplishments, particularly for someone coming out of Kansas City. To see your quote next to a quote by Roger Ebert is just mind-boggling.”
A night celebrating 25 years of critiques
Leading up to a one-on-one Q&A with Kharissa Parker, a producer at Fox4, attendees watched multiple reels featuring Edwards interviewing high profile celebrities, including Tyler Perry, Zendaya, Don Cheadle and more.
Edwards spoke plenty about his upbringing. He grew up in the Friendship Village apartments at 56th and Swope Parkway in Kansas City. He admitted that it was hard for him to evolve while being in Kansas City, but like he told students who visited his exhibit, he was prepared for the opportunity when it came.
He previously worked at The Pitch, a weekly Kansas City newspaper, before being hired at Fox 4 in 2000. Down the road, he would be a co-founder of the African American Film Critics Association, created the Kansas City Urban Film Festival in 2010, and created the Juneteenth Film Festival in KC.
As he reflected on his journey, he highlighted how growing up, there weren’t a lot of Black men who were represented on television. He felt like he’s become a “public importance” through his film critique career, as he’s doing something that wasn’t common growing up.
“It was refreshing to see me on television doing something that’s a little different, talking about movies. There’s been Black people that talk about sports and Blacks that do the weather, and Blacks that to do news. But to have somebody Black actually do film criticism, that was a whole brand-new thing for a lot of people,” he said.
The addition of the Black Movie Hall of Fame will add onto the Black history exhibits in the 18th & Vine neighborhood, which already houses the Negro League Baseball Museum, and the American Jazz Museum. Edwards hopes the hall of fame will create a great mix for an “incredible experience that you can only get here in Kansas City.”
The topic of legacy came up toward the end of Edwards Q&A. He said that when it comes to how he wants to be remembered, he wants to create something that celebrates others. He referenced Bob Kendrick, the president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, to describe the legacy he hopes to create.
“I want to be the Bob Kendrick of movies. So when we have this hall of fame, you can go in and see all this cool stuff. Y’all can be like ‘Man, remember that little, skinny, nappy headed dude that talked about movies for all those years? Man, this is a really cool thing he did!’ And it’s a lasting impact that helps put the city on the map that people who live here can be proud of, and people who we honor can be even more proud of.”
The Black Movie Hall of Fame will have its inaugural gala on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2027 at the Boone Theatre. Three film icons — Sidney Poitier, Cicely Tyson and Melvin Van Peebles — will be inducted.
This story was originally published March 1, 2026 at 11:33 AM.
