Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association Leaves Out Troost Ave in African American Guide

July 12, 2008

Kansas City is home to the American Jazz Museum and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, both in the historic 18th & Vine Jazz district. The former museum speaks to the days when Kansas City was arguably the center of the Jazz world – it still has a fair number of jazz clubs. The latter museum speaks to the Negro Leagues baseball era before 1950, when the Kansas City Monarchs, with all-stars Satchel Paige and Buck Leonard, won a lot more than they lost. Afrocentric attractions also include the must-see Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; the Bruce Watkins Cultural Center, the historic Gem Theater, a landmark to the Jazz legend Charlie Parker and much more.

Kansas City has deep African American roots. Jazz is a crucial part of the heart and soul of Kansas City. Strong Black community leaders and elected officials represent the center core of Kansas City.

The Kansas City Convention & Visitors, the city of Kansas City, and the Black Chamber of Commerce in Kansas City concentrate all of their promotions on the 18th and Vine District. Although nice and colorful with artifacts of the Black heritage of Kansas City, it is only one or two blocks long. We at BlackMissouri.com are surprised and amazed that Troost and other places throughout the metro area are not promoted. We are not natives of Kansas City so we have an outsiders perspective. We are surprised and appalled at the lack of respect that the top officials, both black and non-black, as well as the Destination Management Organizations such as the Convention and Visitors Bureaus, who have not promoted today’s Black districts.

The Kansas City African American Guide is clearly written for either white traveler’s seeking Jazz (which began in the Black communities of KC many years ago) or for African American traveler’s who are ashamed of authentic black culture, without money but with ideas and hardworking hands that have built businesses.

A trip down Troost Avenue, you will find jamaican restaurants, beauty shops, churchs, and more. If you really want to find out what is going on in Kansas City, throw away your African American Guide and stop inside a beauty shop or barber shop on Troost.