Throughout the past week we've heard many longtime Kansas City residents make the connection from Kansas City MLK Riots to Ferguson, Missouri violence. And now KCUR has the definitive report:
What Kansas City's Past Civil Rights Riots And Ferguson Have In Common
A longtime Kansas City politico sums up the similarities . . .
"Former Kansas City councilman Alvin Brooks was part of the group that marched on City Hall. He views the protests in Ferguson as a recurrence of the same issues that the black community faced during the Civil Rights Movement.
"This didn't just start with Michael Brown, it has festered," Brooks said in a conversation with Central Standard's Gina Kaufmann. "The police [in 1968 and today] geared up for violence, but what they've never done is meet with the black community to discuss issues."
"When all was said and done, the 1968 Kansas City riots caused more than $1 million in damages and more than 100 residents were arrested."
And while I'm not sure Michael Brown ever lived up to the legacy of MLK . . . There's no denying that his killing, and the frustrations it has conjured up, has evoke the same, longstanding powerful feelings.
Developing . . .