On The Vine: It’s Black History Month, and KC artists make history of their own
It’s Black History Month, so all across the Kansas City metro area, civic and community groups have planned events honoring the contributions of Black Americans from across the diaspora.
Two of the big ones are the Reel Black Film Fest on Friday, Feb. 20, at the Gem Theater, 1615 E. 18th Street, and “Reclaiming the Canvas: A Tribute to 100 years of Black History Month,” featuring live music, dance, spoken word, and visual art by local artists from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Feb. 7 at the Zhou B. Art Center, 1801 E. 18th Street.
Kansas City discovers new ways to celebrate Black American contributions every year in February.
It seems fitting at this time to give a little history about how this month, celebrating Black people, whose influence spans every aspect of American life, from building its early infrastructure to medical advancements, to politics, food, music, and numerous inventions that have improved the quality of life in the U.S., came to be.
Keep in mind that these things happened despite systemic barriers to advancement for Black men and women in this country.
Since the election of President Donald Trump to his second term, he and his administration have taken numerous steps to quash the teaching of our children about Black history as American history, which, of course, it is.
Black History Month started as a week — Negro History Week — founded by historian Carter G. Woodson in 1926. It was set in February to commemorate the birthdays of Frederick Douglass, born in 1818, and President Abraham Lincoln, born in 1809.
It didn’t become a monthlong recognition until 1970. It became an official U.S. recognition in 1976 when then-President Gerald Ford, during a celebration of the nation’s Bicentennial, urged the country to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
But Congress didn’t make the recognition — National Black History Month — law until 1986.
Recently, I went looking for a Black History T-shirt and found one that said “Black History is Kansas City History.” No doubt that is true and while Black Americans had a hand in much of this city’s history, a huge part of that is evident in the music the city is known best for, Jazz. Hence The 18th & Vine Historic Jazz District.
KC art project
That music history, and the significance of Black American culture to its boom, have a bit to do with why, when Kansas City’s Municipal Art Commission planned an installation on a 29-feet-tall by 20-feet-wide space on the north face of a new parking garage in the historic district: none of three artists selected as finalists for the project were people of color and none were from Kansas City.
That, despite receiving more than 120 applications for the project, including 30 applications from Kansas City artists. The current finalists are from Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and New York City. Hard to see how they could capture the spirit and culture of Kansas City from so far away.
One local artist, Deaunte Thomas, said the process left area artists feeling “unseen, unvalued, and unappreciated.”
The proposed installation is part of the City’s One Percent for Art Program. The chosen artist will get access to a maximum of $185,000 to cover the artist’s fee, travel, fabrication, installation, permits, insurance and equipment.
After local artists called foul on the selection, the panel that chose the finalists proposed reopening the call for artists and adding to the list of criteria that qualify an artist to participate. A main barrier was that artists need to have experience doing a city project. The idea is that with more criteria included, the experience issue might carry less weight in the voting process.
The Municipal Art Commission is scheduled to vote in a public meeting on reopening the call and the changes on Friday, Feb. 6. Sherae Honeycutt, the city’s spokesperson, said, “If the Municipal Art Commission votes to reissue the call for artists as a local-only call, the three previously selected semifinalists would no longer be eligible. Kansas City-area artists would have to reapply.”
And think the commission absolutely ought to make changes to a process that has shut local artists out of being selected for an installation that would have such great significance to celebrating the art and culture that has contributed greatly to Kansas City’s history.
Off The Vine
Below are stories about culture and identity from communities in the Kansas City metro area. Go here to find more stories on culture and identity from Star reporter J.M. Banks.
- Banks talked to local artists upset about the city’s decision to select three finalists from outside the state to do an art installation with significant cultural significance to Kansas City and its Black community.
Around The Vine
- Join Kansas City artists at First Saturdays at Keystone, an artist and vendor market featuring live music and food trucks, presented by the 18th & Vine Arts Festival Foundation free to the public from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Feb. 7. and every first Saturday of the month, at Keystone, 800 E 18th St. in Kansas City.
- Get ready for Pop is Black, a concert with KC’s top Black pop artists from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28 at the Zhou B. Art Center, 1801 E. 18th St., Kansas City.
- Here’s a reminder that if you’re a fan of Boru Asian Eatery in Waldo, Feb 28 is the final day of service for the popular spot.
- The State of Black Wealth in Kansas City is an event focused on exploring economic empowerment. It’s being held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 23, at the Keystone CoLAB in Kansas City as part of Black Wealth Week KC, which runs until Feb. 28.
Vine Picks
- In direct response to ICE actions across the country the Jackson County Legislature is set to vote on Monday, Feb. 9, on an ordinance demanding law enforcement keep their faces and badges visible while working, but Sheriff Darryl Forte has taken issue with the proposal. Here’s why.
- How is it that a well-liked resident of Kansas City neighborhood of $400,000 homes ends up gunned down in the street by one of his neighbors, who according to others living there was a villain at the center of a petty neighborhood war. Star reporters Laura Bauer and Eric Adler tell the story.
- Contaminated soil in some neighborhoods on Kansas City’s East Side hampers the building of affordable housing and has left a once vibrant, and historic Black decaying. This column by Mará Rose Williams examines what needs to happen to safe it.
- After killing three people while on duty since 2017, this Kansas City police officer is still on the force, and local civil rights leaders want him fired. This Star “Reality Check,” by reporter Ben Wheeler, explores what the leaders said about the situation in an open letter released to the media this week.
- This week the Royals announced two superstars are set to bring their joint concert to Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium. Star sports reporter Jaylon Thompson gives us all the detains about who, when and how you can get tickets.
Your voice matters to us. What local issues do you want to hear discussed in On The Vine? Let me, Mará Rose Williams, The Star’s assistant managing editor for race and equity, know directly at mdwilliams@kcstar.com. Thank you for reading.
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