Kansas

Let's celebrate the hot-blooded, radical, progressive history of Kansas – Kansas Reflector

Published

5 months ago

January 29, 2024

Let's celebrate the hot-blooded, radical, progressive history of Kansas – Kansas Reflector

“When anything is going to happen in this country, it happens first in Kansas,” said William Allen White, Kansas’s most famous resident (barring Paul Rudd and Superman).

Some may roll their eyes at this thought, that Kansas, a state known for being flat and boring and conservative, has been a trailblazer of the country, a hotbed of radical populism. But it’s true: Kansas has historically led the country in political and social insurgency. From the abolition of slavery to the push for prohibition, my beloved Sunflower State is where the will of the people reigns supreme.

If you weren’t privy to this fact, you are not alone.

I am sure the average Kansan wouldn’t know this either. In fact, if you grew up in Kansas, there is no doubt you, like me, took a field trip to the Capitol building, where stunning murals of the Kansas countryside were broken up by images of the occasional violent fanatic or two, eliciting more than a few eyebrow raises from your third-grade class.

I, too, could not understand why my sweet, peaceful Kansas would choose to be represented by a zealot like John Brown, wielding a musket and a bible But that is, of course, because Kansas is not a peaceful place. When Kansans adopted the motto Ad Astra Per Aspera (to the stars through difficulty), by God, we meant it.

From the very beginning, Kansas has been a place where radically different ideas and their advocates duke it out.

Kansas entered the Union as a free state after a violent conflict over slavery, known as Bleeding Kansas, putting our dear friend John Brown on the map and serving as a “tragic prelude” of sorts to the imminent Civil War. It would later become host of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling, which paved the way for the end of segregation.

Kansas spearheaded the suffrage movement at the state level, became a safe haven for socialist thinkers, and was the very first state to outlaw alcohol during the prohibition. And in recent years, Kansas was the first state to protect abortion rights after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Kansas is consistently at the heart of every single revolution in America.

And I have every intent on continuing this tradition.

When I am confused about my identity, I find my Kansas heritage anchors me. To be a Kansan is to be a radical; to push for progress; to be a forward-thinker. To be a Kansan is also to be empathetic; to care for your neighbors; to stand up for those who are suffering.

The past five generations of my family have stood on the very same dirt, looked up at the very same sky, breathed the very same air, and decided to change the world for the better. I come from the place pioneers and visionaries seek out. The winds of change whip through me like a Kansas tornado. I am a force of nature.

If ever I doubt what I am capable of, I remember the moment I realized who I was and where I come from: I am a Kansan.

Changing the world is in my blood.

Kate Appel Eckert is a senior at USD 345 in Topeka. Through its opinion section, the Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.

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Related Topics:abolition Brown v. Board of Education Featured John Brown Kansas Day Kansas history

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Kansas

High floods in metro area, KCFD makes several water rescues amid rain storms

Published

3 hours ago

July 4, 2024

Press Room

High floods in metro area, KCFD makes several water rescues amid rain storms

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – The Kansas City Fire Department made several water rescues early Thursday morning after rain storms hit the metro area.

Seven unhoused individuals near Little Blue River at MLK and Hardesty were caught in the water. Around 5:30 a.m., KCFD reported two had been rescued and were continuing to work the banks and water.

Around the same time, there was another report of an individual being caught in the water at Cleaver and Oak.

Later, dangerous high waters in the area of Raytown Road near the stadiums were reported.

A flash flood warning alert was put in place by the National Weather Service until 8:15 a.m.

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Kansas

Flood watch issued for Kansas City area through early Friday morning

Published

10 hours ago

July 4, 2024

Press Room

Flood watch issued for Kansas City area through early Friday morning

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for the Kansas City area until 1 a.m. on Friday morning.

In Kansas, Johnson, Miami and Wyandotte counties were included.

In Missouri, Cass, Jackson, Lafayette and Saline counties are included

During this time, flash flooding due to excessive rainfall is possible.

Excessive runoff may result in the flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone places.

Creeks and streams may rise out of their banks.

In addition, creeks in the area are running high and could flood with more heavy rain.

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Kansas

Plan ahead to stay dry at Kansas City Independence Day celebrations

Published

17 hours ago

July 3, 2024

Press Room

Plan ahead to stay dry at Kansas City Independence Day celebrations

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A lot of eyes will be looking to the skies for fireworks tomorrow night. But clouds and rain in those skies have many asking if the show will go on.

The key is to plan ahead. Outside the World War I Museum and Memorial, the stage has been set up in advance because the show must go on. So, before you come out here, make a to-do list of stuff to bring and where to go to stay dry.

The stage is set, and so is the spot for fireworks. Kansas Citians are ready to celebrate another 4th of July with a bang.

“It’d be really good to get some family and have friends come along,” Jadon Walker of Kansas City said. “Bring them out and sounds like there will probably be a lot of community out here.”

Leaders of the Stars and Stripes Picnic have been working around the clock to set up the stage. They’ve prepared vendors to bring enough equipment so their setups can withstand any harsh weather.

“We’ve got a larger stage than we might have used before and it’s got a roof to protect the sound equipment that we’ve got set up for the day,” Matthew Naylor, President and CEO of the WWI Museum and Memorial, explained. “Then tomorrow early on the vendors will start coming in and they’ll be appropriately equipped with tents to ensure everything stays safe.”

Eventgoers also need to plan ahead in case the forecast doesn’t stay dry.

“My first thought is an umbrella but that seems kind of silly thinking about this whole group of people,” Walker thought. “Umbrella’s might be impractical. So, I don’t know I don’t have any clear thoughts on that.”

There won’t be an extra emergency shelter set up, they’re asking for festivalgoers to have fun but stay aware.

“We’ll rely on people to keep an eye on their weather apps,” President Naylor said. “That we’ll update people if there’s lightning coming or storms approaching. Then to take appropriate action. They know how to manage in wet weather if a threat presents itself.”

The National WWI Museum will also be open tomorrow from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. if you want to take a break from outside. But it’s not big enough to hold everyone in attendance. Remember to download the First Warn 5 Weather App where our team will have all the latest updates.

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