Celebrate Black History Month with some of Kansas City’s most talented filmmakers.
This event will celebrate the culture and vibrancy of Black Kansas City while showcasing our stories of local icons, unsung heroes and difficult conversations about structural racism.
Land of Opportunity: The Road of Resistance, from Nico Giles Wiggins, explores the impact of real estate and federal policies on urban communities. Inspired by Richard Rothstein’s ‘The Color of Law,’ this film focuses on Kansas City’s Highway 71 project and reveals how the city’s urban renewal efforts displaced 10,000 families.
The Potato King: A Dynasty Built on Dirt and Dreams, from Jacob Handy, tells the story of Junius Groves, a formerly enslaved man known as the “Potato King of the World.” Told from the perspective of local farmer Mike B. Rollen, this film sets out to learn about Groves and his pioneering journey to become one of the wealthiest men of his time.
Diamond Jubilee: A 75-Year Celebration of Carter Broadcast from Kerry Rounds tells the story of how, in 1950, Andrew “Skip” Carter began operating KPRS as the nation’s first Black radio station west of the Mississippi River. Seventy-five years later, the Kansas City radio station is still alive and well, celebrating its "Diamond Jubilee" anniversary.
Schedule | |
|---|---|
| 1:30- 3:00 p.m. | Doors open & vendors available |
| 3:00 p.m. | Program begins |
| 3:30 p.m. | 'Land of Opportunity: The Road of Resistance' premiere |
| 4:00 p.m. | Panel discussion with filmmaker, Nico Wiggins, moderator, Tori Foushee, Dee Evans, community leader, Stephenie Smith, and Dr. Rodney Smith. |
| 4:30 p.m. | 'The Potato King: A Dynasty Built on Dirt and Dreams' premiere |
| 5:00 p.m. | Panel discussion with filmmaker, Jacob Handy, moderator, Tori Foushee, founder of Ophelia's Blue Vine Farm, Mike B Rollen, Nina Kimbrough, and African American History Professor, James Leiker. |
| 5:40-6:00 p.m. | Intermission |
| 6:00 p.m. | 'Diamond Jubilee: A 75-Year Celebration of Carter Broadcast' premiere |
| 7:00 p.m. | Panel discussion with filmmaker, Kerry Rounds, moderator and film critic, Shawn Edwards, Brian B Shynin, Robinson Carter, and Michael Carter. |
| 8:00 p.m. | Event ends |
Emcee
Land of Opportunity Panel
The Potato King Panel
Diamond Jubilee Panel
Filmmaker’s Lounge
Artline Agency | The Black Movie Hall of Fame | Heartland Arts KC | Heartland Arts | Kansas City Film Office | Kansas City PBS
Lobby Vendors
Deep Rooted Clothing | Divine Creations | Day 28 Wellness | Scentsy | Stitch & Press | Sun Hero Magazine
STREAM ANYTIME, ANYWHERE
