Heart Village mobile home park made Jackson County listen. We all deserve the same

On the steps of the Jackson County Courthouse sits a statue of Andrew Jackson. By now, most of us know that while he was president, Jackson was also a land speculator who surveyed the nation for profit. This extracurricular interest him to deny a ruling from the Supreme Court declaring it unconstitutional to disturb the Cherokee Nation on their lands, and to sign the Indian Removal Act, which led to the Trail of Tears — one of the greatest acts of attempted genocide to date.

Why the history lesson? Because as I prepared to enter the courthouse to support the residents of Heart Village mobile home park in advocating for themselves, I was struck by the plaque newly installed on the statue. It states: “This statue of Jackson reminds us we are on a path that, in the immortal words of Martin Luther King Jr., bends towards justice. In turn, we must acknowledge past injustices to help us create a greater nation built upon humane policies to light our way and the way of humanity everywhere.”

Oh, how I hoped this to be true, that these would be the words by which every person in those proceedings would be held accountable. So, how did they measure up?

Jackson County (suddenly, I realize where the name comes from) authorized the purchase of a plot of land that was home to more than 100 residents of the Heart Village mobile home park. This plot of land was sold to Park Holdings, Inc. to build a new county detention center. The only notice that was given to people living in the park was in the form of one meeting, where they were told they would have to move. There, residents were promised a follow-up that never happened. What did happen was a different meeting to discuss the details of the property purchase, of which the residents were not notified.

At a meeting of the Jackson County Legislature last month, it seemed at first that the only things on the minds of officials were the land and money. After an onslaught of legal jargon, a representative for Park Holdings passively mentioned having had multiple meetings with members of the community, who all allegedly approved of the deal. That’s when the residents of Heart Village could no longer hold their peace. People can watch for only so long while being neglected and misrepresented, their future hanging in the balance, before they must raise their own voices in protest.

As a witness, I felt very tense as things seemed to spiral out of order. This was not a normal day for the legislature. There was no “business as usual,” because impacted people were in the room. Legislators could not passively, effortlessly make decisions on buying and selling property like they normally would, because those affected by the repercussions of their actions were staring them in the face and holding them accountable.

After demanding to be heard with a chant of, “We’re here now,” led by KC Tenants, each Heart Village resident who desired to be heard got a literal seat at the table to tell his or her story, one by one. Each household has its own tale. And before the residents chose to show up and begin speaking their part in it, the trajectory of the legislature was threatening to make their lives a footnote, nay, a statistic in some more sordid story.

Heart Village residents sharing their stories resulted in cancellation of rent for the remaining time in their homes, raising their compensation to $10,000 from $5,000, and 30 days for professionals to negotiate and facilitate the moving procedures for each individual household.

In a time when things can seem chaotic and feel like we are yelling into a void, our voices can be heard. Every day of the week, there is a public meeting happening in the courthouse or at City Hall (sometimes held virtually). In those meetings, very important decisions are made by people who are not directly impacted by them. When those who are affected (that’s you) take their place at the table, allow their voices to be heard and hold their public officials accountable, these decisions can start to reflect what is best for even the least of us.

Heart Village taught me that when the people know the power they possess — and choose to wield it — perhaps the path we are on really does bend toward justice. You can find information about Kansas City meetings at: https://www.kcmo.gov/i-want-to/city-calendar

Melissa Ferrer Civil is a poet, writer, performer, motivational speaker and educator in Kansas City.