Do you want to dive deeper? Do you want to share what you’re learning with others? This is the page for you.
We’ve created extensive lists of books from Johnson County Library’s collection that approach the topic of Race Relations in a variety of ways for all ages of readers. Below that we link to some of the others doing this kind of work, both in our community and beyond, who have informed us and the events we plan.
"Reckoning with Racism in Johnson County" - A three-part series by the Shawnee Mission Post that delves into the racial landscape of Johnson County. (A JoCoLibrary card allows access to these links.) Part 1: A History of Exclusion - A look at the historical factors that created our current situation. Part 2: An Attempt to Integrate - Some of the activists and historical figures who worked to change the county's racial make-up. Part 3: An Enduring Struggle - Current efforts to address past wrongs and create a more equitable environment.
We Are Wyandotte - Home of the H.E.A.T. Report that uncovers health inequities based on place of residence in Wyandotte County, with connections to historical redlining practices, a video series, related comics, and more.
Housing Segregation and the Birth of Johnson County - A short article and video from United Community Services (UCS) of Johnson County about past and current segregation and its impacts on health equity. Includes links to sources and resources for delving deeper.
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art School Tours - Designed for students from preschool through college, school tours are interactive gallery experiences led by skilled docents offering learner-centered activities and open-ended discussion inspired by works of art.
Literacy KC's Adventure App - Explore 30 landmarks of Black History in Kansas City, either in-person or virtually. Prominent members of Kansas City's Black community (including a few celebrity cameos) narrate the history of each stop. After the audio, each location has a short trivia game to earn points. Post a selfie to the Selfie Wall to earn even more points!For Android and for Apple.
2019 State of Black Kansas City - Urban Education: Still Separate and Unequal - From the Urban League of Greater Kansas City. "Provides an in-depth look into the prevailing issues that undergird the socioeconomic gaps between blacks and whites in Greater Kansas City. In addition to a special collection of essays and op-eds that spotlight urban education issues, this report includes the Black/White and Hispanic/White Equality Indexes. The equality indices were created to capture empirical evidence of African-American and Latinx progress in economics, health, education, social justice, and civic engagement."
Self-Guided Curriculum: Race, Racism, and the American Experience - From the University of Missouri. "This guide is an invitation to do challenging and necessary inner work to disarm our preconceived notions. It will require that you cultivate a practice grounded in self-reflection and an understanding of your role as a life-long learner. We hope you study, journal, reflect, and if possible, engage in dialogue and deliberation with your unit colleagues about what you are reading and exploring in this guide for the next 10 days. Every day is designed around a specific topic with resources and activities structured in four steps: Learn, Reflect, Take Actions, and Explore some more." See also their Resources for Identity Education.
Structural Racism: A Maynard Institute Case Study by Brenda Payton - This report is designed as a tool for journalists and researchers. It includes links to more than 260 studies that, since 2010, have found racial disparities in all aspects of American society. Most of the sections include examples of institutions and initiatives working to solve the problem. The resources are grouped by topic: Structural Racism, COVID-19, Criminal Justice, Police, Disenfranchisement, Education, School Discipline, Teachers and Racial Disparity, Employment, Health, Environmental Racial Disparities, Healthy Food, Housing, Lending, Banking, and Wealth.
Redlining and Neighborhood Health - This project from the National Community Reinvestment Coalition offers side-by-side maps of over 140 U.S. cities, comparing redlining designations from the 1930s to current health outcomes. The interactive maps allow visitors to see how neighborhoods defined by federal policy in the past suffer today not only from reduced wealth and greater poverty, but from lower life expectancy and higher incidence of chronic diseases that are risk factors for poor outcomes from COVID-19.
