A Kansas City nonprofit with the mission of promoting economic development in the city's urban core is now under federal investigation. The program gives money to cities - with relatively few strings attached - to help improve communities. But it's not. Adrienne Haynes, the managing partner at the business law firm SEED Law, says there's more . The Kauffman Foundation Conference Center is a nationally recognized convening site located adjacent to the Foundation offices in Kansas City. Court records show BEU still has 11 active liens against it for unpaid bills dating as far back as 27 years. Editor: Donna Stewart document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Use the unsubscribe link in the emails we send to opt out at any time. It provides scholarships to inner-city students based on character and motivation, not strictly test scores. THE COUNSELORS ARE KINOFD FOCUSED ON GETTING PEOPLE TO GRADUATE THINGS OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL GETNGTI KIDS TO SCHOOL. In an email response to the 41 Action News Investigators, Dixon called Harris' accusations against him "false, unfair and unwarranted.". Contact: info@midamericalgbt.org Kansas City is becoming more welcoming for black women who want to start their own businesses. In 2003, former BEU Director Sylvester Holmes pleaded guilty in federal court to embezzling $33,000 of the organization's money. Contact: Karla Martinez Urban development in Kansas City often means creating clean, new, modern, safe living and social spaces for decidedly white, middle- to upper-income populations. In a Black youth panel conducted by the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, other Black students expressed that they also have to look elsewhere - in places like Chicago or New Mexico - to find opportunities built for them. 100 Black Men of Greater Kansas City is devoted to improving the quality of life for young African American men through several mentoring, educational, and life skills . "He wanted access to their financial records, the property records, things he has no business having access to," Ford said. Naomi Nix, who teaches English at Lincoln College Preparatory Academy, was part of the first cohort to join Teachers Like Me. Contact: Joe Arce When the 41 Action News Investigators asked Wood why the city would agree to give money to fix the elevator and five years later, still hasn't inspected it after the permit ran out, he replied, "I don't know. Need the ability to download nonprofit data and more advanced search options? By providing prison bus services, offering reentry services and newsletter subscriptions for current and former offenders, the organization advocates for the rights of those affected by incarceration. Kansas City, MO 64109 According to executive director Michael Watson, REAP began in the basement of Blue Ridge Presbyterian Church in 1982. The Pennsylvania Prison Society is a long-standing organization dedicated to reforming the criminal justice system. 3200 Wayne Ave., Suite 204 Cotton plans to use the grant from Give Black KC to extend her lease on the shop. In honor of. Jamie Jiang is a news intern for KCUR 89.3. Fax: (816) 924-1803, Women Construction Owners and Executives KC Chapter (WCOEKC) Kansas City, MO 64105 GIFT is partnering with the United Way for this campaign. It's a week-long campaign to raise grant money supporting black-owned businesses and nonprofits. Kansas City, MO 64130 Think about a seemingly simple question: What are the health outcomes of a Black woman versus a white woman in Kansas City? Service said. After jobs in several different sectors, McCray decided to start her business while working as a full-time therapist. Organizers believe working together brings change. It's about equality but also equity. 6025 Prospect For additional information on Black-owned businesses, vendors and resources in Kansas City, consult our partners at, Know of other businesses that belong on this list? Kansas City, KS 66101 Rather than external entities coming into Black inner-city neighborhoods and trying to tell residents what they need, or even disrupting these communities altogether, we need Kansas City to empower its low-income communities directly: listen to what developments Black folks in the city want (or are already working on) and then support and/or implement those developments. "We found that BEU was in terrible trouble, just a mess," Thompson said in the video. Programs like Awesome Ambitions, which encourage economic and social mobility, prepare young people for college and careers, and create rich networking opportunities, should be heavily funded. North Kansas City, MO 64116 "It's not something that I would've done. 816-234-4784. I am not interested in remaining in a city that is not made for me. For additional information on Black-owned businesses, vendors and resources in Kansas City, consult our partners at KC Black Owned orBlack Privilege. They don't need a four-year college degree.. Website: www.buildersassociation.com, Unified Contractors of Kansas City (UCKC; unification of Hispanic Contractors Association of Greater Kansas City and Minority Contractors Association of Greater Kansas City) "We had to put about a million dollars in refurbishing this building," Thompson said. are joining forces to host Give Black KC, a fundraiser to support the Black community and entrepreneurs. They ignored that and moved forward with the sale and without a lawyer.". Atlanta-based organization Sister Love commits itself to educating women of color about reproductive health, safe sex and HIV/AIDS. Many young people are working for change right now, but we need to know were not alone in the fight. I was really excited when they called me and talked about the opportunity to be a part of the collaborative, McCray said. However, as my final years of college approach, one question looms larger and larger: Do I return to Kansas City, or head off to Atlanta? In our community, we have a lot of violence, we have a lot of poverty, we have a lot of broken infrastructure, Barnes said. 720 Oak St. Blackout curates a unique way to protest the repetitive inattention to the work of black artists by tuning out from events like the Academy Awards. Uncommon Voices columns bring new perspectives and opinions on topics related to the Kauffman Foundations work. (AAHTKC) was created through community meetings, community input, and lots of research. KANSAS CITY, Mo. 816-513-1313 Browse many more Black-owned businesses and restaurants in the Kansas City area below. According to Harris, BEU's board neither voted on nor approved the loan - a violation of the organization's policies, rules and procedures. Black Lives Matter was formed in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman in 2013 and quickly became a national movement to end police brutality. Weve got to get families to a place where theyre thriving, you know, theyre being successful. On Sept. 18, 2014, John A. In other communities, local business associations can help find resources. Saatva Mattress Review: Our Pick for the Best Overall Bed of 2023, We Found 12 Cute Planters and Flower Pots That Cost Less Than $25, Here's Where to Watch and Stream Marvel's 'Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' Online. So far, Teachers Like Me has helped 15 Black teachers. Its definitely my mission to balance kind of self care with communal care, Cotton said. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. In other communities, local business associations can help find resources. That term comes from the practice of marking racial makeup on a map and denying financial services to Black neighborhoods. Now, how will your actions answer? I had never imagined Black empowerment looking like a nonprofit urban farm but visiting Nile Valley changed the way I imagined how inner-city Black folks could attain a place in the economic cycle. Phone: (316) 681-1155 Sign up for our best content straight to your inbox, and join the conversation on our social channels. It's leading up to the Juneteenth holiday . When I host Up To Date each morning at 9 a.m., my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City areas challenges, hopes and opportunities. 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Most of the funding came from her own finances, and as it's grown, shes gotten a bigger space and hired more staff. Phone: (816) 472-6767, Kansas City Womens Chamber of Commerce a.q = q; If it is your nonprofit, add geographic service areas to create a map on your profile. And those same city audit records show BEU had accounting issues every one of those years, including two years when BEU failed to submit a timely report for the auditor's review. "I was told that the BEU only had two months before it would face foreclosure and not enough income to pay its utilities. Calloway believes Give Black KC can do good work fighting racial inequity in the philanthropic sector. The summer program is scheduled to launch in 2022. Former BEU Board Chairman Chester Thompson spoke about fixing up the Lincoln Building in a YouTube video recorded at that building in 2012. Other panelists echoed that as a community service provider it is important to know how other organizations can help so as not to turn into a one-stop shop.