On The Vine: An ideal ending to Black History Month | Opinion

Women’s History Month is here, but I don’t think I could have ended February — Black History Month — this year any better than with the Saturday evening I spent on KKFI Kansas City Community Radio talking about how The Star and I have been amplifying Black and brown voices, and later listening in person to a local movie critic celebrate Black film.

So lucky for me, I was asked to be a guest on D. Rashaan Gilmore’s KKFI- 90.1 FM, 5 p.m. Saturday radio podcast, “Unbossed and Unbothered,” a play on the slogan — Unbought and Unbossed — made popular by the late Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to Congress. She used the phrase to highlight her independent, fearless and outspoken style.

Gilmore chose it, I’m sure, for the same reason. He started the show with a segment he calls “Reclaiming My Time,” an expression made popular in 2017 by another Black congresswoman, Maxine Waters.

No sooner than he introduced the podcast, Gilmore quickly moved to recapping portions of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech and showed his displeasure with Rep. Al Green from Texas being tossed out of the Feb. 24 address because he held a sign that said “Black people are not apes,” in reference to a video out of the White House depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys, a racist trope.

Next, Gilmore took to task the SAVE America Act, requiring that voters show proof of citizenship to register to vote and a photo ID to cast a ballot. Of course, citizenship is already a requirement to vote and noncitizen voting virtually never happens. Gilmore pointed that out. Like the two women he celebrates in the naming of his show, Gilmore is pretty fiery, bold and matter-of-fact in his opinions.

He and I talked about my journalistic passion, highlighting the stories of Kansas Citians who have historically been underrepresented, especially Black, brown and LGBTQ people, and women. Much of what I’ve done in the last few years as an assistant managing editor for race and equity at The Star has allowed me the privilege of listening to and connect with ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

I told Gilmore and his listening audience that while I’ve directed a long list of stories that show off the cultural richness that POC, LGBTQ people and women bring to Kansas City, I think there are still lots of issues impacting these communities that I still want to hear about from residents and also write about as a senior columnist at The Star. Reach out to me, Kansas City, at mdwilliams@kcstar.com And read some of what I’ve already written here.

The highlight of the evening was finally meeting Shawn Edwards, a journalist who has been a TV and film critic for Fox4 for the last 25 years. Edwards was at the Black Archives of Mid-America talking about his career journey and raising funds to support his Black Movie Hall of Fame, set to open soon in the historic Boone Theater in Kansas City’s historic 18th & Vine Jazz District.

I was surprised to learn last year that there was no hall of fame anywhere in the country celebrating Black cinema. That means Kansas City is it, and when folks are inducted, think about some of the celebrities we are likely to have visiting Kansas City in the future. I don’t know about you, but I’m very excited.

The Hall of Fame is Edwards’ brainchild, and no wonder, because in his line of work, this Kansas City native has earned the pleasure of rubbing shoulders with and even hanging out with some of the best in the business. — the legendary Spike Lee, for instance.

Edwards told his intimate audience of about 80 or so people, many of them sitting around tables sipping wine and enjoying finger foods, “I want to be the Bob Kendrick (president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum) 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!’”

Off The Vine

Below are stories about culture and identity from communities in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Go here to find more stories on culture and identity from Star reporter J.M. Banks and here for more from me, senior columnist Mará Rose Williams .

If you are a beer drinker and a hip hop lover you might be interested in Jamel Thompson, better known as The Royal Chief. He has inspired a new custom beer working with Kansas City’s first Black-owned brewing company. Banks was at the release party and captured all the sights and sounds.

M.C. Richardson, a dedicated longtime journalist, who for years hosted KKFI’s “Guess Who’s Coming to Kansas City” radio show recently passed away at 86. Banks talked to family and friends about his life and career.

Around The Vine

• Music lover and Kansas City philanthropist, Benny Lee, has a book out about his journey to Kansas City. On Saturday, March 21, from 2 to 4 p.m. he is presenting a lecture and concert presented by The Museum of Kansas City, 3218 Gladstone Blvd., Kansas City. Tickets are available.
• It’s a family affair. The Black Family Wellness Expo, presented by the Jackson County chapter of The Links Incorporated, takes place from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 21 at Morning Star Youth & Family Life Center 2525 E. 27th St., Kansas City.

Vine Picks

• An international ride hailing company is helping transgender Kansans move around after a new state law targeted approximately 1,800 trans residents’ driver’s licenses. There’s a shared discount code. Reporter Eleanor Nash has all the details.
• A lot of residents living in midtown, downtown and the Westport neighborhood shop at the Midtown Costco on Linwood Boulevard. But a lot is changing there, and some items will no longer be available. Star opinion writer David Hudnall shops there too, and has this to say.
• The Kansas City gas price average is $2.73 per gallon, but has it increased since the U.S. and Israel attack on Iran? Star writer Rashad Alexander has the rundown on that.
• Independence officials this week paved the way for a $150 billion data center to break ground in that eastern Jackson County city later this year. Find out more here.

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 senior opinion columnist, know directly at mdwilliams@kcstar.com Thank you for reading.