The Urban League of Greater Kansas City will release the 2023 State of Black Kansas City – From
Redlining to Chalk Lines: The Costs of Economic Injustice at the 16 th Annual Urban Summit Conference on
Nov. 4, 2023, from 8:15 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Education Center, MCCC-Penn Valley, 3201 Southwest
Trafficway.
“From Redlining to Chalk Lines: The Costs of Economic Injustice,” is also the subject of the conference
with esteemed local panelists who will draw a distinct correlation between the legacy of redlining and
systemic oppression, and the high rates of violent crime and homicide in the Kansas City metro area. As
of Oct. 31, there were 222 homicides with most occurring in the urban core. The increasing homicide
rate is not by happenstance – caution tape and chalk figures tie together disparity and history in our
most blighted communities. For instance, the 2022 Equality Index of Black Kansas City was 75.35%. This
means that rather than having a whole pie (100%) – full equality with Whites in 2022 – Blacks are
missing 25% of the pie. The 2022 Poverty Index was 49%. Especially alarming is the home value of 64% -
this indicates that the percentage of Black households in poverty is almost two times as high as the
percentage of White households in poverty in Greater Kansas City. Poverty = Lack of Resources = Violent
Crime.
“The effects of these egregious practices are felt in the form of racial disparities in mortgage lending,
higher joblessness due to discrimination, and lack of access to livable-wage jobs. Addressing these
economic disparities must be an integral part of any strategy for reducing high rates of violent crime in
inner cities and promoting lasting social change,” said Gwen Grant, President and CEO of the Urban
League of Greater Kansas City and Featured Presenter.
Nikole Hannah-Jones, Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of The 1619 Project and staff writer at The New
York Times Magazine, will also provide a “Courageous Conversation” on economic injustice during her
Keynote Address at 12:30 p.m.
The 2022 Black/White Equality Index provides an in-depth look into the socioeconomic gaps between
Blacks and Whites in Greater Kansas City while addressing the legacy of economic inequalities and how
they directly correlate with the increase in poverty and crime in the urban core.
Free copies of the 2023 State of Black Kansas City will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Additional copies are available at the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, 1710 Paseo Blvd., Kansas
City, Mo. 64108.
The Urban Summit’s mission is to create a social and economic balance that stabilizes the Eastside of
Kansas City, Missouri. This is being achieved through urban advocacy, political collaboration and
grassroots organizing.
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