Race to Equality: Race Project KC brings students together to explore historical and present topics of KC race and segregation

Going into the teacher book study sponsored by Johnson County Public Libraries in the summer of 2015 for Tanner Colby’s book, “Some of My Best Friends are Black,” East teachers Samantha Feinberg and David Muhammad expected to leave the night with only a better perspective on segregation in Kansas City and its neighborhoods. 

In addition to new insight, the teachers were also approached by Wyandotte High School teacher Tim Stauffer about connecting both sets of students to explore topics of local race and segregation — a student group that came to be known as Race Project KC.

Now, Race Project KC includes a network of 15 schools across the KC metro area interested in connecting high school students together on field trips to explore how the demographics in Kansas City came to be.

Field trips start every year in January and occur monthly though April with a recurring group of 15 students per school attending the meetups. Some of this years include visits to the Bruce Watkins Cultural Center, JC Harmon High School, the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art and the Dividing Lines Bus Tour around Kansas City.

When discussing the history behind local segregation and race issues in Kansas City, 1950s influencer J.C. Nichols is referenced for his ideas played with the racial covenants written into many deeds of Johnson County houses, shaping the percentages of black people that live here today.  

According to East senior participant Kara Auvray, the authentic learning Race Project KC provides at each location has allowed her to learn about the demographics and experiences of the new friends she makes through touring their schools and creating genuine conversation that stemmed from small talk discussion questions about identity, personal experiences and local issues.

“You’d see much more diversity in the schools involved with Race Project KC than you would see at East,” Auvray said. “Which is one of the best parts of being able to meet these students. Wyandotte has a higher percentage of black students and JC Harmon High School has large numbers of black and Hispanic students.”

Each field trip offers fresh ways for the students to gain knowledge on historical and present day race issues and Kansas City segregation.

According to Feinberg, the itinerary for each trip differs by location, depending on the focus of the trip. Some are focused on personal differences between schools like racial diversity and experiences, while others look into personal segregation or public work from African American artists or authors.

The group starts with a get-to-know you icebreaker, followed by the showing of a piece of writing or art that is used as a prompt or discussion piece for small groups. The main activity depends on the location for the day. For example, a trip to the Nelson would include touring the art and then making their own piece. The day ends with lunch and a debriefing reflections on the day.

Bu with Muhammad having left East last year, Feinberg now co-chaperones Race Project KC alongside East teacher Erica Jackson. 

“I had heard about the work Race Project KC had done in the past,” Jackson said. “I knew Feinberg needed someone to help her. I like being someone who’s able to help students find the opportunity this program provides because it’s so valuable.”

For students like Auvray, Race Project KC has brought opportunities to student-lead projects that spread the name and purpose of Race Project KC.

“On the last field trip in April of last year, I ended up working with a small group on a project to organize a First Friday event,” Auvray said. “It was to spread awareness of Kansas City racial issues while advocating for Race Project KC. Between all the planning, I was able to connect with a group of girls from an Olathe school that I still keep in contact with today.”

Once just an idea fostered by Feinberg and Muhammad, Race Project KC has gained so much interest locally that it is now funded by Johnson County Public Library. 

The library has taken full control as directors of the program, with head manager Angel Tucker planning all of the field trips and taking care of funding. 

But, Feinberg and Jackson, along with current members, still make it their job to recruit new members each year through the announcements and personally coming to those they think could be interested. 

“As long as I’ve lived here, I’ve never really gotten answers as to why Kansas City is so segregated and why a lot of the demographics look the way they do,” Auvray said. “Through Race Project KC, we’ve been able to really engage with that history. I think that’s something really important.”