Kansas City, Missouri, has a complicated history of race, segregation, and violence. As the town developed, new suburbs were built further away from downtown and into Kansas. The older neighborhoods east of Troost Avenue and near the Blue River were not invested in and struggled to maintain prosperity. Restrictive clauses in neighborhood rules prevented non-white people from moving into the newly developed suburbs for many decades. This segregation has created lasting effects on the people and geography of Kansas City. There is still massive inequality in educational and economic opportunities afforded to people purely based on where they grow up in the city. The disparate conditions lead to much greater concentrations of poverty, homelessness, and gun violence in the areas east of Troost Avenue in Jackson County.
Jackson County is the county in Kansas City, MO, with the largest population. It has 34.6 gun-related deaths per 100,000 people (Brianna Lanham Fox 4), more than two and a half times the US average of 13.6 deaths per 100,000 people. This marks the third-highest gun-related death rate in mid-sized United States counties. The statistics seem to be getting far worse in recent years. In 2021, KC had 182 homicides, the city’s highest in history. In 2022, there have already been 170 homicides as of August 14th.
The homicides in Kansas City have a distinct geographical concentration. The following map shows where the homicides occurred in Kansas City, Missouri. There is a precise concentration of homicides east of downtown and on the east side of Troost Avenue, a street often considered a dividing line in Kansas City.
This concentration of violence and murder in certain parts of Kansas City is part of a larger US history relating to race, slavery, and discrimination. African Americans were considered the property of white people for nearly 250 years. African Americans suffered abuse, lynchings, torture, and trauma for generations in this country. The following timeline helps to see how the laws have moved society towards equality and institutionalized discrimination and inequality:
In response to mass migrations of African Americans moving to the Northern States, some white men felt threatened by being replaced by their black counterparts. They passed sweeping legislation that reduced black citizens to second-class status with inferior or nonexistent community centers and resources. Homeowners and tycoons like JC Nichols designed housing districts to cater to white families. This can be seen in Kansas City in areas like the Plaza, Ward Parkway, and other suburbs that would not allow Black people to live there until recent decades. The GI Bill helped white veterans return home from war, invest in property, and build wealth. Black people returning from service at war did not receive similar help and often faced worse treatment than they had experienced abroad. Black people were forced into areas of cities that were “redlined” and not given resources, loans, or land rights. Many historic black neighborhoods have been demolished to build highways and neglected without investment.
In effect, “Two Americas” have been created in nearly every US city. There are areas of inequality and areas of vast wealth. Johnson County suburbs have excellent schools, prospering real estate, diverse businesses, and higher life expectancy. The conditions are very different in the historically redlined areas, often east of Troost. Healthy food options are difficult to find. Growing up in these areas often experiences significantly more trauma and fewer life opportunities. The quality of schools available in each neighborhood varies widely. Many parents in poorer communities are forced to pay for private or religious schools if they want to invest in better educational opportunities for their kids.
The environments of these neighborhoods are very different as well, and a simple walk can feel this in each community. Unkept sidewalks, for example, a symptom of underinvestment is expected in the areas east of Troost Avenue near the Blue River. There are fewer parks and less tree cover, leading to hotter summer temperatures. The lack of investment has also led to run-down buildings and many places needing repair that people need help to afford. Buildings are condemned and boarded up frequently. The immediate environmental inequalities are apparent, but the long-term hazards may be even more significant.
The following map shows the entire Kansas City area that drains into the Blue River. Comparing the map to the Homicide map shows how environmental hazards, economic inequality, poverty, and violence often overlap.
A watershed is all the areas of land that drain into a particular river. The areas near the edges of the watershed are on hills and are unlikely to flood. The areas near the creeks and rivers are the most likely to flood, especially downstream, as more and more small streams join the main river. All of the wealthy suburbs that were built to the south and west have a small flood risk. These affluent suburbs exert significant control over the flooding downstream and dramatically increase flooding as they replace native ecosystems with parking lots and other developments. The areas east of Troost near the Blue River are the most likely to flood. This is not by accident. The city was developed to concentrate the environmental hazards, economic inequality, and lack of opportunity in certain parts of the city. This leads to much higher rates of desperation and gun violence.
Unfortunately, gun violence and inequality affect all of us. We must first recognize the inequity and disparities to fix them in our lifetime and not pass them on to future generations. Next, we must ask why our cities are designed like they are, how this affects us, and how we can contribute to solutions. Then, we can all learn more about these issues and do our part in building better communities and neighborhoods for everyone.
A Positive Pledge
New American Journalism Project is an investigative newsroom based in Kansas City, Missouri, dedicated in 2023 to bringing unique stories to form.
Story Assistance credit to Matt DeCapo
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