Moved to action by recent events, an ad hoc committee of Prairie Village residents, students, Colonial Church, and more came together to plan a march and rally in honor of George Floyd (and countless others) and to inspire action in their fellow Prairie Village residents.

My family and I attended, along with most of the Prairie Village City Council, the Mayor, City Administrator Wes Jordan, and our Prairie Village Police Department. Most importantly, though, I saw SO MANY of my PV friends and neighbors there, and it made me so proud to be a part of the Prairie Village community in 2020.

Prairie Village was built based on redlining and exclusion and has a reputation from years gone by of not being hospitable (to put it mildly) to BIPOC, but it’s time for that to change. Our neighbors and our community stood up last night and pledged to take action to bring intersectional diversity, safety, and a welcome for all people to Prairie Village.

Look for much more discussion and swift action from your City Council, city staff, and Prairie Village Police Department in the coming months. And if you don’t see it, hold us accountable. If you have ideas, reach out and share them. If you have had issues yourself in PV, please let us know. We need your help, guidance, and moral support every step of the way.

I didn’t take any photos in deference to the solemnity of the event, but you can see the amazing turnout and some of the speakers in the Shawnee Mission Post.

Several of the speakers moved me to tears, and I hope you were able to make the event and were as moved as I was.

No Justice, No Peace
Know Justice, Know Peace

Best,

P.S. If you don’t know what I’m talking about when I say above that PV was built based on “redlining”, if you haven’t heard about the deed restrictions on our properties, or if you are looking for books to read to understand racism, here is one of many, many articles about J.C. Nichols and his developments and a few books that are on my nightstand right now:

J.C. Nichols: Legendary developer’s vision went beyond the Plaza

and more:

This List Of Books, Films And Podcasts About Racism Is A Start, Not A Panacea