Urban Summit calls on KC Black churches to fight for democracy in August primary

Pastors, politicians and activists came together on Saturday with the goal of energizing apathetic Kansas City voters ahead of the primary election at the 19th annual Urban Summit.

Headlining the event were president and CEO of the Health Forward Foundation in Kansas City Qiana Thomason and national civil rights activist and senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, the Rev. Jamal-Harrison Bryant.

Bryant’s address gave sharp critique on the utility of Black churches as it relates to teaching residents how to invest, informing voters on electoral candidates and their policies and providing opportunities for students to receive higher education. Bryant charged Black church members in Kansas City to engage more with the community and introduce practical solutions.

“92% of what Jesus did was outside of the church. 97% of what we do is inside of our church,” he said.

Bryant’s appearance at the annual conference comes following his leadership of a yearlong national boycott of the Target retail chain in protest of the company abandoning its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, such as their Supplier Diversity program that let Black-owned businesses sell their products at Target’s stores.

Bryant announced the boycott had ended on March 11 and said that Target had agreed to comply with three out of his four demands, but at Saturday’s conference he shifted to say the company had only complied with two.

Bryant said Target had agreed to commit $2 billion to Black-owned businesses and deposit $250 million in 23 Black-owned banks across the country. In addition, he said the company would develop retail training centers across 10 historically Black colleges and universities and reinstate its DEI policies.

Bryant has faced criticism across social media, with some accusing him of “settling” for less than what he originally demanded from Target.

“This generation doesn’t know the difference between a boycott and cancel culture,” Bryant said. “We have to educate more and be intentional on what is the end goal and what is the strategy and not assume that everybody knows it.”

Others accused him of taking credit away from three Black women who initiated the Target boycott: Monique Cullars-Doty, Nekima Levy Armstrong and Jaylani Husseint.

Bryant later issued a formal apology to the public on his podcast “Let’s Be Clear” about what he described as confusion around what the ultimate goal of the Target boycott was.

Thomason called on Black Kansas Citians to galvanize their voting power around two issues core to the future of democracy in Missouri. The first is the citizen-led petition that could prompt a vote on the state’s new gerrymandered congressional map. And the second is Amendment 4, which will appear on the Aug. 4 ballot and if passed would make it virtually impossible for citizens to collect signatures and amend the Missouri Constitution.

“We have to build coalitions around the issues we care about,” she said. “Most people are very united by our values and our issues which typically align. Where we disagree is around the narrative of those things, but we want the same things.”

The Urban Summit Kansas City is a coalition of community activist organizations focused on grassroots social, political, and economic issues. Founded in 2007, the group was organized by the Rev. James Tindall Sr., a former Jackson County legislator, and holds weekly meetings to discuss topics affecting the city’s urban core.

“There was a lack of communication between elected officials, state officials, county-elected officials, city-elected officials, particularly with the African American community,” Tindall said. “We were able to talk with them and bring forth community leaders.”

Recently, the Urban Summit was instrumental in urging the Kansas City Council to approve an ordinance that banned the sale of mini liquor bottles in certain parts of the city. The group said the bottles contributed to crime, blight, littering, loitering and chronic disorder.

In addition, the Urban Summit played a leading role in the special election to recall former Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. Many voters expressed frustration with White’s handling of the residential property valuation process.

Tindall hopes attendees of Saturday’s conference renew their civic engagement and show up to the ballot box.

“Power to the people,” he said.