Tour Locations | Dividing Lines: A History of Segregation in Kansas City

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LOCATION 1
Introduction
NARRATOR:
“In the twentieth century, Kansas City produced two uniquely American geniuses who would both forever alter the physical and cultural landscape of the country. One of these men built a m... -
LOCATION 2
(Directions) Right on 75th
Turn right onto 75th Street, and get into the left lane. You’ll turn left onto Mission Road.
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LOCATION 3
(Directions) Left on Mission Road
Take a left to go north on Mission road..
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LOCATION 4
Prairie Village (1/2)
We’ll stay on this until we turn right on 71st street. You’re driving through the city of Prairie Village. The entire city was developed in the late 1940s by J.C. Nichols. He was a prolific real es...
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LOCATION 5
(Directions) Right onto 71st Street
You’re coming up on 71st. Get into the far-right lane and take a right to go east on 71st street.
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LOCATION 6
Prairie Village (2/2)
NARRATOR:
Great. Now turn left at this next street, which is actually 71st Street again. (pause) We’ll stay on this all the way to Belinder, where we’ll turn left.Until then, take a look at t...
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LOCATION 7
(Directions) Left on Belinder Ave.
Here’s our next turn. Take a left at the stop sign to go north on Belinder.
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LOCATION 8
Mission Hills (1/3)
You’ll stay on this all the way to 63rd, where you’ll turn right. You’ll come to a roundabout along the way. Just continue north on Belinder. Drive slow. We’re now in a different city; Mission Hill...
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LOCATION 9
(Directions) Roundabout
You’re coming up on a small, beautiful roundabout. You’ll continue straight on Belinder, which will be the roundabout’s 3rd exit. . Belinder wil be a divided boulevard at that point.
(pause)
...
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LOCATION 10
(Directions) Right onto 63rd Street
Take a right to go east on 63rd.
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LOCATION 11
Mission Hills (2/3)
NARRATOR:
You’ll stay on 63rd until you get to Ward Parkway. I wanna introduce you to someone I really admire. Sid Willens. Sidney is a retired attorney and public figure in Kansas City. He’s gonn... -
LOCATION 12
(Directions) Stay right at fork on 63rd
After this stoplight, there’s a fork in the road. Keep right to stay on 63rd all the way to Ward Parkway. We’ll hear more from Sid later.
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LOCATION 13
Mission Hills (3/3)
You just crossed into Missouri.
Before we go too far, let me recap Sid’s story. Sid had put up $10,000 to flip this property, with his trusted friend Harold Clopper managing the funds and devel...
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LOCATION 14
(Directions) Left onto northbound Ward Parkway
Here’s Ward Parkway. It’s a divided boulevard so go straight through the first traffic light. At the second, turn left to go north on Ward Parkway.
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LOCATION 15
Ward Parkway
Beautiful, isn’t it? Ward Parkway. This six and a-half mile boulevard is accented by fountains, ponds, and statuary. Showing off this ritzy boulevard is a mainstay for KC residents when they have v...
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LOCATION 16
(Directions) Stay left when merging
In a moment, you’ll merge with two more lanes on your left. You’ll need to stay in the two right-most lanes. You’ll stay on this side of Brush Creek - don’t cross it. You’re gonna take a look at th...
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LOCATION 17
Country Club Plaza
NARRATOR:
You’ll stay on Ward Parkway for a few minutes, then turn right on Brookside Blvd, just after the Kansas City Public library’s Plaza Branch. The Country Club Plaza was the first shopping ... -
LOCATION 18
(Directions) Right onto Brookside Blvd
Use the right-most lane to take a right at the next traffic light. You’ll go south on Brookside Boulevard.
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LOCATION 19
Brookside (1/2)
You’re driving through another part of the city that was developed and then sold by J.C. Nichols. Just take a look at the houses for a bit. Look at the style. The shape. The size.
(pause)
Of ...
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LOCATION 20
(Directions) Left onto 55th Street
Merge into the left lane. Then, take a left at this next traffic light to go east on 55th Street.
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LOCATION 21
Brookside (2/2)
NARRATOR:
Here’s Sid again, the guy who lent his friend Harold $10k to flip a house and made quick profit. Well, Harold called him again...SID:
And so, I said, "Harold, you know I trust you ... -
LOCATION 22
(Directions) Straight through Troost
Go straight through this next light. This is Troost Avenue. The place that, historically, everyone tries to get away from.
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LOCATION 23
Troost
The “Troost Divide.” What many people, officials, organizations, and institutions consider the quote bad part of town.
This area was built and developed at the same time as Brookside. But thes...
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LOCATION 24
(Directions) Right onto The Paseo
At this next light, take a right to go south on The Paseo.
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LOCATION 25
Blue Hills (1/2)
Your next turn will be a left at 63rd street.
The Paseo. Ten miles long, from 1st to 85th. For six of those miles, it’s a divided boulevard accented with fountains, ponds, and statuary. Toward...
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LOCATION 26
(Directions) Loop around to go North on The Paseo
Get into the left lane and turn left onto 63rd Street. Don’t cross it, just turn left. Watch for all the traffic lights. Then, turn left again, back onto the Paseo. We want you driving back up the ...
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LOCATION 27
(Directions) Left back onto the Paseo
Turn left back onto the Paseo.
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LOCATION 28
Blue Hills (2/2)
NARRATOR:
You’ll follow the Paseo for a while now. The next turn won’t be until Emanuel Cleaver 2 Boulevard, just after Brush Creek.So. What changed?
Black folks were given the recourse. An...
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LOCATION 29
(Directions) Pass Volker, then Right onto Emanuel Cleaver 2 Blvd.
You’re coming up on Emanuel Cleaver 2 Boulevard. Go through the light at Volker Boulevard and get into the right lane as you cross Brush Creek. Then, take a right to go east on Emanuel Cleaver 2 Bo...
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LOCATION 30
Highway 71 (1/3)
Over the next minute, make our way into the left lane.
You’re coming up on a very physical dividing line. You’ll be passing under Bruce R. Watkins Drive, also called 71 Highway. It runs from Dow... -
LOCATION 31
(Directions) Left onto the Hwy 71 northbound on-ramp
Take a left to get on the 71 north ramp after you pass under the roadway.
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LOCATION 32
(Directions) Get in the right lane, but don't exit
Get in the right lane, but don’t take this first exit.
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LOCATION 33
(Directions) Stay right and exit onto Euclid Ave.
Nice work. Now stay in the right lane so that you end up on Euclid Avenue, not Highway 71. In a moment, the road will fork and you’ll angle toward 43rd Street.
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LOCATION 34
Hwy 71 (2/3)
You’ll follow Euclid through some stop signs and traffic lights for a while. You won’t turn until 31st Street. If you ended up on the actual freeway, no worries, just take the next exit at 39th,...
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LOCATION 35
(Directions) Right onto 31st St.
Take a right to go east on 31st Street
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LOCATION 36
Hwy 71 (3/3)
As White families fled to the suburbs, more Black families moved in and soon the neighborhood’s rating would drop again. This time to red. The homes, again, instantly losing value in the eyes of ...
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LOCATION 37
(Directions) Left on Benton Blvd.
Use the left lane to turn left at the next light, going north on Benton Blvd.
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LOCATION 38
(Directions) Right on 30th St.
Then you’re gonna take a right at the next intersection, going east on 30th. But I’m just taking you around a few one-way streets. Turn right on 30th.
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LOCATION 39
(Directions) Right on Bellefontaine Ave.
Now, you’re gonna turn right again at the second street. That will be Bellefontaine Avenue.
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LOCATION 40
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LOCATION 41
Walt Disney's House
Drive really slow here. Look for 3028. It’ll be on your right near the end of the block. A brown-fronted house with a fountain in a fenced-in yard. This is where the one and only Walt Disney lived ...
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LOCATION 42
(Directions) Right on Indiana Ave.
Get into the right lane. At the next traffic light, you’ll turn right to go south on Indiana Avenue.
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LOCATION 43
(Directions) Left on 33rd to school parking lot
Your next turn will a left on 33rd. We’re gonna navigate into the parking lot of Central Academy of Excellence and pause there for a moment.
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LOCATION 44
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LOCATION 45
(Directions) Left into the school parking lot
You’ll take your next left, into the school’s parking lot.
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LOCATION 46
(Directions) Left into parking lot, then park.
Turn left into the parking lot and find a place to park.
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LOCATION 47
Central Academy of Excellence (1/2)
We started Dividing Lines at Shawnee Mission East high school - the crown jewel of Prairie Village - a school many consider worth relocating for. Before 1955, this school we’re at now would have ...
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LOCATION 48
(Directions) Right onto Indiana Ave
Turn right onto Indian Avenue.
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LOCATION 49
(Directions) Right onto Linwood
Great. Now, turn right at this next intersection.
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LOCATION 50
(Directions) Next turn will be a Left onto Jackson Ave.
Your next turn will be a left onto Jackson Avenue.
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LOCATION 51
(Directions) Left on Jackson
At this next traffic light, use the left turn lane to turn left, going north on Jackson Avenue.
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LOCATION 52
Central Academy of Excellence (2/2)
The multi-million dollar desegregation case - Missouri v. Jenkins - did not succeed in luring middle class white students back into the hallways of KCMO schools. It did succeed at updating faciliti...
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LOCATION 53
(Directions) Left onto 27th Street
At the stop sign, turn left to go west on 27th Street.
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LOCATION 54
The 27th Street Divide
This is 27th Street. You’ll stay on this for a while, all the way to Main Street, where you’ll turn right.
Before there was Troost dividing white from black, rich from poor, there was the 27th...
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LOCATION 55
(Directions) Right onto Main Street
Turn right to go north on Main Street.
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LOCATION 56
Power & Light District (1/2)
You’ll stay on Main Street all the way to 15th - or Truman Road, where you'll turn right.
We’re going to the part of the city that isn’t neglected. A part of the city that didn’t get the short...
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LOCATION 57
(Directions) Right onto Truman Road
At this next light, take a right to go east on Truman Road.
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LOCATION 58
Power & Light District (2/2)
Stay in the two right lanes, otherwise you’ll get funneled onto the freeway. Your next turn won’t be until a right on the Paseo.
Just to your left you’re seeing the result of some of the city’s ... -
LOCATION 59
(Directions) Right onto The Paseo
You’re coming up on your next turn. Take a right at the next light to go south on the Paseo.
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LOCATION 60
(Directions) Next turn will be Left onto 18th Street
Merge over to the left-most lane. Your next turn will be a left on 18th Street. It’s the next traffic light.
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LOCATION 61
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LOCATION 62
18th & Vine (1/2)
Drive slow here. 18th & Vine developed as a black settlement area in the 1880s and 1890s. By 1907, white real estate brokers would basically only sell or rent to blacks in the immediate area, but n...
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LOCATION 63
(Directions) Right onto Brooklyn Ave.
Take a right to go south on Brooklyn Ave. Waving at my personal favorite KC bbq joint at your 10 o’clock - Arthur Bryant’s - as you do.
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LOCATION 64
18th & Vine (2/2)
We’ll pull to the side of street just after 21st.
Here’s Mamie Hughes reflecting on 18th and Vine at its zenith.
[Mamie pt 4] Sometimes Uncle George would take us in his car, and we would sim...
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LOCATION 65
Municipal Stadium
Pull to the side of the street and park for a minute. If you already hit the stop sign at 22nd, you’ve gone a bit too far. Just circle the block, and find a spot to park back here on Brooklyn.
...
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LOCATION 66
(Directions) Next turn will be Left onto Woodland
Up to your right is Lincoln Preparatory Academy, the crown jewel of Kansas City Public Schools. We’ll talk about it, but you won’t stop. Instead, use the left lane to turn left onto Woodland Avenue...
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LOCATION 67
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LOCATION 68
Lincoln Prep
Lincoln Prep is one of the best ranked schools in Missouri. At one time, black schools were bastions of excellence. Margaret May, longtime Kansas Citian explains.
[i16_2017-11-01_Margaret-May_... -
LOCATION 69
(DIrections) Right onto 27th St.
Take a right to go west on 27th street. Then get in the left lane quickly. You’ll be turning left onto Paseo.
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LOCATION 70
(Directions) Left onto The Paseo
Take a left to go south on the Paseo.
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LOCATION 71
Ivanhoe Neighborhood
Your next turn will be a left onto 35th street.
Earlier, we left Sid when he began his crusade to fight white flight. He tried to keep his white neighbors from falling prey to the machinations ...
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LOCATION 72
(Directions) Left onto 35th St.
Take a left to go east on 35th Street.
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LOCATION 73
(Directions) Next turn will be Right on Woodland
You’ll only go four blocks, then you’ll turn right to go south on Woodland.
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LOCATION 74
(Directions) Right onto Woodland Ave.
Take a right to go south on Woodland.
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LOCATION 75
(Directions) Straight for Two Blocks
Go straight for two more blocks. We’re headed to the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Center, just after 37th Street.
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LOCATION 76
(Directions) Cross 37th & park
Cross 37th and turn right into the Nutter Ivanhoe Neighborhood Center. Or just find a place to park along the street. We’re about to finish the tour.
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LOCATION 77
Conclusion
In 2000 the neighborhood worked on a strategic plan and over six month time period they came up with a plan that included more than a hundred items that covered beautification, crime and safety, ...