A People's History of Kansas City

Can Kansas City repair what Highway 71 destroyed?

Apr 30, 2025
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ANECDOTE

Barbara Johnson's Neighborhood Tour

  • Barbara Johnson toured her 1908 home near Highway 71 and showed the neighborhood's former vibrancy. - Many nearby homes were demolished to make way for the highway, leaving empty lots and blight.
INSIGHT

Highway Routing and Community Impact

  • Highway planners initially considered routing through the Country Club Plaza but shifted east to a Black neighborhood. - Highway designs were explored live, with little understanding then of the community damage highways could cause.
ANECDOTE

Residents' Struggles With Property Sales

  • Residents faced pressure to sell homes, often at unfairly low prices from speculators. - Many were unaware of the highway project's full impact until well underway.
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