Latest news with #UniversityofMissouri-KansasCity
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Especially this year, Kansas City Pride is a celebration of joy
Each Pride season, I find myself reflecting on what it means to be queer: not just in terms of identity, but in terms of politics, community and joy. In previous years, my reflections have often taken the shape of critique. This year, inspired by the work of sociologist Laurel Westbrook and recent pro-democracy activism in Budapest that reclaims queer joy in the face of rising backlash, I want to shift my focus. I want to speak about the beauty of queer life — not just to celebrate it, but to show what's at risk if we lose it — and to communicate to those what this existence looks like. Sociologists and journalists alike are often skilled at pointing out issues in society, but bad about highlighting our achievements — in art, culture, pleasure and protest. In his journal article 'The Normalization of Queer Theory,' David Halperin reminds us that the early days of LGBTQ+ activism were not just about rights or policy: They were about joy. That joy was rooted in celebration, creativity and a shared struggle, and was inspired by the Black civil rights movement's insistence on dignity and celebration. Pride is a party, but it's also a political act. The joy of queerness lies in knowing that community doesn't just happen. It's made — an idea reflected by the late Stephen O. Murray in his book 'American Gay.' That's something I witnessed firsthand during the three years I volunteered with Kansas City Pride from 2015 to 2017. There's a deep intentionality in how queer people build space for one another. During my field work with Kansas City's LGBTQ+ communities, I saw how people created vibrant, supportive environments from scratch. This year, I'm working with Stuart Hinds at the University of Missouri-Kansas City as part of a collaboration with MU, UMKC and Michigan State University special archives to document that resilience. What I call 'the tragedy of straightness' isn't about who someone loves — it's about never having to question the path you're told to follow. To be straight is to accept that the assumptions about love, sex and family are the default. For queer people, none of it is assumed. We build many of our relationships from the ground up. Friendships and support systems (the family) don't just happen. We create them. We don't assume we'll be loved unconditionally. We learn to love one another fiercely and deliberately. There is a certain magic that reveals itself only when you're part of that building process. You see how each person contributes to a collective spirit. You witness the ways we hold space for one another, whether in a basement drag show or a queer reading group. These aren't just social spaces — they're lifeboats. And yet, many straight people — and increasingly, many gay people raised in more accepting environments — never experience this. For others, these created families are chosen, protected and fiercely loved. The cost to this refusal means carrying the weight of surveillance and, for many, fear. We are asked to monitor our mannerisms, police our desires and to 'tone it down' — even in many progressive spaces, such as colleges and universities, places of work and in many other aspects of public social life. It is why coming out remains part of our experience. This Pride, especially in a time of renewed attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, choosing celebration is a form of resistance. It reminds us that society wasn't designed with us in mind — and yet we made space for ourselves anyway. The joy of queerness is protest. Pleasure, in this context, is political. It is not something to overcome. It's an honest commitment to not take love, connection or identity for granted. To live openly and queerly is to live with intention, with courage and — above all — with joy. Christopher T. Conner is assistant professor of sociology at the University of Missouri-Columbia, the Stephen O Murray Scholar in Residence at Michigan State University and author of 'The Gayborhood: From Sexual Revolution to Cosmopolitan Spectacle and Conspiracy Theories in New Times.'
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
United States predicted to see massive shortage of family practitioners
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The United States could see a shortage of nearly 87,000 family practitioners by the year 2027. That's concerning, as the prediction is made worse by an aging workforce and higher demand for elder care. Family care doctors are comprised of OB-GYNs, pediatrics and geriatrics. When it comes to this next generation of doctors, paying off student loans is a huge concern, which could factor into their decision to forego family medicine. Whistleblower sues Children's Hospital after controversial firing 'You cannot afford to go into family medicine if you're taking out $300,000 plus worth of student loans to get a job that pays $150,000 to $175,000 before taxes. Take taxes out of that and good luck getting a job.' That's why Dr. Bill Hennessey says more Gen Zers are pursuing other specialties that offer more handsome salaries. Doctor Hennessey works as the Chief Innovative Officer for CareGuide, a company that negotiates outrageous medical bills on behalf of patients. 'I would pay the family physicians more, so they want to be family physicians. They work hard; they deserve it.' Across the medical field, people tend to look down on primary care work because it does not pay as well as other specialties, is often an 'administrative slog,' and is not considered as prestigious. However, some schools like the University of Missouri-Kansas City are enthusiastically promoting students to pursue it. What's holding up Pennway Point project? Developer speaks on issues 'Sixty percent of our St. Joseph students went into primary care,' said Dr. Alexander Norbash, the Dean of the School of Medicine. Out of UMKC's two campuses, he said 76 out of 135 students are choosing to pursue family medicine. 'If you're going to a school where primary care is celebrated, appreciated, and taught effectively with good teachers, I think that students can't help but go into it. Many of our students who go into primary care realize that if they go into a specialty to pay off their loans sooner, and then they do that and are not fulfilled by their job, then they have been penny-wise and pound-foolish, so to speak.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
He gives young KC hoops players ‘a head start' in STEM — in case the pros don't call
Editor's Note: This interview is part of an ongoing Star series highlighting Kansas Citians from historically under-represented communities and their impact on our region. The series builds on The Star's efforts to improve coverage of local communities. Do you know someone we should interview? Share ideas with our reporter J.M. Banks. When DeMarcus Weeks arrived in Kansas City from Memphis, Tennessee to play for the University of Missouri-Kansas City's basketball team, he was confident that his future highs would play out on the court. After becoming a father and leaving college, Weeks was drafted into the NBA minor league and spent several years playing ball professionally overseas. After his athletic career ended and Weeks returned to Kansas City he was uncertain about what his next steps would be. He took time to explore his interests beyond sports and discovered a fascination with solar energy. This newfound passion lead him back to school for further education in the field. With a college diploma in hand, Weeks secured a job as a traveling technician, repairing wind turbines and installing solar panels. Inspired by this experience and knowing that few minorities are exposed to such career possibilities, Weeks, 37, combined his love for basketball and his interest in solar energy to create the U-Sport Academy. The academy is a nonprofit organization that offers high-school-age student-athletes both sports coaching and training in solar and wind energy. Recently Weeks sat down with The Kansas City Star's culture and identity reporter, J.M. Banks to talk about finding acceptance through sports, being unsure about his future after sports and exposing student athletes to new career avenues, a backup plan in case they don't make it to the big leagues. Banks: Can you tell me about your childhood and what led you into sports as a youth? Weeks: I am originally from Memphis and my mom was a nurse who always instilled helping people into my life. I came from a big family that was involved in sports and very competitive, so I naturally fell into sports. Sports was an outlet for me to express myself and be able to make connections. Being Black with lighter skin meant kind of getting teased, so tapping into sports created the self-confidence and helped me develop a sense of self-value. I learned young people tend to want to be around you when you are good at something and sports just felt like where I belonged. I actually started playing football first, and in middle school, a friend of mine was like hey you should go out for the basketball team. I wasn't that good at basketball starting out but I stuck with it and I had coaches and mentors that worked with me. Then I was lucky enough to start getting invited to these camps where I got more resources and started getting better. I started thinking that basketball could be a way out for me and I ended up getting recruited to play. I went into college with the plan to play professionally. Can you tell me about your experience as a college athlete and how that impacted the work you wanted to do with youth athletes? I came here (Kansas City) to attend UMKC and majored in business management but I did not graduate because of economic reasons and I had my son. I got drafted in 2009 in the D-League and wanted to pursue a career in basketball. I ended up playing in Spain for five years. I got a chance to get out there and chase my dreams. It was not easy (becoming a pro athlete) and there were a lot of adversities that were faced. I had no regrets about leaving school. After that I came back here because I really love Kansas City and this city made me a . man. This is where I had my son. There was just a connection here. I felt like I always saw KC supporting its small businesses, which I really loved because I wanted to go into entrepreneurship but wasn't sure of what at the time. I don't think a lot of student-athletes do have a Plan B. Everybody thinks they are going to go pro and even if you do who is to say you won't get hurt within your first two seasons? Athletes only have a short window for doing it but I think most don't imagine not making it. I always wanted to do work with the youth but didn't know what. A lot of the times athletes start a sports team but I wanted to do something different. I wanted to create something that was going to help them think outside the box and see an area they may not have been exposed to. How did you get introduced to STEM and why did you choose that as something you wanted to teach young athletes about? I did end up going back and getting my associate's degree. I always thought I would just get a job at some company and move up the corporate ladder. I actually accidentally fell into the work I do as a solar panel tech. I was always fascinated with technology and started doing research on Tesla, which at the time was doing some new things with solar energy. I started doing research into different fields within energy and I ended up going to school for about a year to learn more about solar and wind energy. When I finished the course the pandemic happened. So I ended up getting a job in the field like immediately because companies like GE (General Electric) really were in need for people who were able to come and fix these windmills. So I ended up being really good at it and I really liked it. I started getting government contracts to do work. When I was on the road traveling as a windmill technician I had a lot of time to think about how few minorities I saw while I was in these spaces. I began to think about how to get more minority youth in STEM and had the idea to blend solar energy with the youth basketball. Tell me about your organization and how you merge athletics with STEM? I started in 2016. We have served over 1,000 kids from ages seven to 17. It is open to students from all across the metro. We usually try to meet twice a month and used to have two locations we met at, one in Overland Park and one Downtown. I have put on 11 basketball camps for the youth in the past eight years. I bring them in with the athletic aspect because a lot of kids aren't lucky enough to have access to basketball camps or workshops. We work out and work on their game but we also spend half of the time talking about STEM and I teach them about the energy industry, installing solar panels and fixing wind turbines. They actually walk away with a wide variety of skills and knowledge about new energies. So we bring them in with the sports aspect but then expose them to this field they may never of had any idea of once we have them. How do you feel your organizations will positively impact the community? I want to open doors for these kids that I didn't know existed. I learned about this type of work later in life and was lucky enough to be able to get work right away. These kids, starting now gives them a head start. We want to give the kids the support to think beyond sports. With solar and wind energy you can change the course of a kid's life by giving them the tools they may not be able to get to under normal circumstances. Also it means these kids will be bringing this knowledge back to their communities and we will be seeing it more in areas that were under-exposed to the benefits of wind and solar energy. We want to bring about economic growth within the community by teaching these kids that there are other opportunities for you outside of sports if it doesn't all happen like you planned. What are your organizations goals for the future? We started a project in KCK (Kansas City, Kansas) where we are installing solar panels on a basketball court over there. We are still getting things together, but it's the first of what I hope will be a series of solar-powered basketball courts around the metro. We want to continue to inspire more student athletes to get into the STEM trades while they are preparing for their future in sports too. We want to continue being innovative and grow the organization. I have done international work in the past with my youth camps while I was overseas and would love to see this implemented over in some other places that could benefit from solar power. We want to continue helping kids to find a passion for STEM while also supporting them as athletes and players. For more stories about culture and identity sign up for our free On The Vine newsletter at
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
10th Women's Hall of Fame honors Kansas City women for accomplishments and influence
Today it's easy to look around the Kansas City area and see the women educators, legislators and businesswomen who have built our region to what it is today. But it hasn't always been this way. 'Women's stories are left out of history books a lot,' said Amy Samaripa, director of external relations at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. That's why the 10th annual Starr Women's Hall of Fame is so important. A decade of acknowledgment to Kansas City women for their accomplishments and influence is one thing. But UMKC has archived the 45 inductees in its library, making all their materials electronic and available to researchers from around the world. 'This is a great way to be able to capture the region's history,' Samaripa said. Seven more inductees will be added this year: Eliza Conley Jr., Muriel Irene McBrien Kauffman, Roshann Parris, Clara Reyes, Annabeth Surbaugh, Marian E. Washington and Marjorie A. Williams. Four will receive posthumous awards, but the three living honorees sat down to speak with me about their impact to Kansas City. They are: Roshann Parris, founder of Parris Communications, a Kansas City-based public relations and strategic communications firm specializing in strategic corporate communications, media relations, public affairs and crisis communications with clients including Fortune 50 companies nationwide. Marian Washington, who pioneered the women's athletic program at the University of Kansas, where she served as athletic director and women's basketball coach. She also paved the way for Black women in sports in the U.S. Marjorie Williams, known widely as Dr. Marj, has given nearly 40 years in service of schools, children, university scholars and teachers. Williams became the first African American superintendent in the 100-year history of Hickman Mills School District in 2000. It must be noted that none of these women believed they were an automatic pick for the award. Said Parris, 'One of my favorite all-time quotes is a John Wooden quote: 'You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who can never say thank you.' 'And there are women in our community every day who would be horrified to know they were ever nominated, let alone, actually going up to accept the award because they work with such humility and such passion and such dedication.' Incredibly humble, their love for Kansas City and its people was evident. I'll let them tell their stories in their own words. I was born and raised in West Chester, Pennsylvania, on a small farm. I think my life overall is an example for young people hopefully because I lived in a bus for my first 12 years of my life and a (then) home that my parents made for us. I never thought that I would end up walking this yellow brick road to Kansas, but I attended West Chester State, and in 1969, I had a wonderful mentor, Carol Eggman, who had a vision to establish a national championship for college. It was because of her (that) I was a member of her team that won the very first national championships. And from there, I was invited to try out for a national team, and it was coached by Alberta Lee Cox, who was from Raytown, Missouri. She is a legend here. And she integrated the U.S. national team when she elected to have myself and my teammate Colleen Bowser to be a part of that team. In '69, I was raising a daughter at a very young age. And so when Alberta, 'Bert,' asked me to come out to the Midwest, she really embraced me and my daughter as part of her family. And we were to be a part of the very first Olympic team. Unfortunately the (International Olympic Committee) overscheduled the men and we were locked out, so I didn't make it in 1972, but God has had a way in my life. I ended up walking that yellow road to the University of Kansas. I became the women's basketball coach in 1973. And that is a time where I gather they call me the Jackie Robinson of women's basketball coaching because it was the first time a Black woman ever coached at a predominantly white institution. And in 1974, I was named the first director of women's athletics at Kansas. (Roshann Parris: Can I just interrupt? Am I the only one that is living through full body chills right now?) (Washington smiles and continues): I was president of the Black Coaches Association for a few years and I utilized that position to make campaign and policy with the United States Olympic Committee, because prior to that time, this is in the '90s now, you would have U.S. teams go out representing our country, but the coaching staffs did not have a person of color on the staff. So you had young Black women playing, but they didn't have a Black coach to look at and to dream. So, I pushed the USOC to make a change in their policy. And so today, every team representing the United States will have a person of color on their coaching. I thought, all those years I was trying to make the Olympics as an athlete, and here I was to be a part of an Olympic coaching staff. My players, they have a sisterhood and they are part of my family. … They will call me check on me today, and when I see how far they've gone in their lives, they're doctors, lawyers, they are coaches, they are role models in their communities. I'm absolutely thrilled and proud of that, but I'm also so proud of the fact that I hope I made some a path for young women of color to go forward in the coaching profession. I am a proud Kansas Citian of now over 40 years. I began my career in Washington, D.C., working in the United States Senate, and from there migrated to Kansas City, when I met my husband who was working next door at Bob Dole's office. From there, I got my MBA and worked at the University of Kansas in a public policy role, having spent six years in Washington on behalf of KU. And then made the move to Kansas City, began my own firm now 37 years ago and have lived sort of a dual life ever since, running a small but energized PR and crisis communications firm here in Kansas City, while simultaneously serving in a national service role on three White House administrations. So I have led White House negotiating teams around the world to over 75 countries on behalf of the president and first lady as they have conducted the nation's business around the world. And that has been a 46-year journey of sort of dual service in that regard. I have had the privilege to represent presidents of both parties, but predominantly Democratic, and I have been privileged to watch the wheels of Air Force One land in over 75 countries as the United States seeks to conduct its diplomacy around the world to go into war-torn areas. These are complicated political zones, where we try to solve world problems that perhaps have not been solved for years or decades or generations, for that matter. And every time I see that emblem of our country drop onto the ground, I am acutely aware that very few people have had the opportunity to pass this way. Does that make me deserving? I can say that in many of those countries, women were not considered at all valued members of society, particularly dating back four-plus decades ago. And so the struggles of leading teams as I did around the world were real, and I've got endless stories of places where they attempted to put me in my place on behalf of our country thinking that they could. I was privileged to be a part of world history and be able to hopefully change the perception of what women are capable of doing on behalf of our country in all parts of the world. I am an educator by purpose and passion, spending 40 years in the field. I still have my space in the world of education acting as a resource not only here in Kansas City, but throughout the country. I became the first African American superintendent in the history of the Hickman Mills school district, and during that time I'll say I served in the seat for 12 years. If anyone knows anything about specifically urban education, to be a superintendent that long is unheard of. And then to be a female when there were very few people who look like me across the state and throughout the country. I often found myself in settings where I was the only one. And so I had a double role: making sure that I was visible, and garnering respect because of where I came from, what I was doing and what my role in the field was not only for the children in Kansas City, but every child who entered public schools. I am not originally from Kansas City, but I do consider it home. I've been here since I was in the fourth grade. And so, I am a product of KCPS. I still try to be involved with the school district as much as I can, from being a resource to every superintendent who not only was there when I was there, but those who have sat after me. And that extension goes not only for them, but most superintendents in this area. I have an opportunity to sit down with them and just kind of share a shoulder as it relates to education and the laws that are the governing bodies. I think my strongest role has been a mentor, and I don't do it just through the educational lens. I do a lot of coaching in nontraditional places. So I find myself in the store and someone walks up and say, 'I I saw you on this or you spoke at this event.' And then some kind of way, we pivot into what they're doing and what they should be doing and how to get there. I mentor a lot of the public sector of the city simply because leadership is leadership and what you bring to it. The characteristics of a good leader are transferred in any area of work that you do. So I'm honored to be here. But when I see it all come together, for instance, I have two students who are government officials, one has a Ph.D., and they're really excited when they see me in the room and they get a chance to say she was my teacher. But it's even more exciting for me to know that these were young people who at one point in their lives may have been struggling in one area or the other, but it didn't stop them from moving forward. And hopefully being there even at that time in their young lives there was something that I did to make a difference. So even though education doesn't pay a lot in dollars, the rewards I receive for having those young people find me. But thousands of lives I've touched, and those that have been able to make the choices that they want to do just because I was in their life for whatever moment of time, is rewarding for me. Many occasions, I've gotten up on the podium and I've spotted them in the audience, and I'll say 'That one belongs to me.' The Class of 2025 Induction Ceremony of the Starr Women's Hall of Fame is Thursday at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are available at
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
University of Missouri-Kansas City recognized as top research institution
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A huge game-changer was unveiled on campus at the University of Missouri-Kansas City on Thursday. The university is now recognized as one of the top research institutions in the nation, and there's new accreditation that the university hopes will draw more faculty and students. One leader at UMKC calls Thursday's announcement a moment of crowning glory. The university's newly awarded Carnegie Research R1 status put this school among the top research institutions in the nation, including the medical field. A party atmosphere surrounds the announcement at the university's student center, which includes cheerleaders, a pep band and excited supporters who cheered.'Together, we have made spectacular happen,' Mauli Agrawal, UMKC Chancellor, told the crowd. Andrew Lester to change plea in Ralph Yarl shooting University leaders say this designation by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is a reward for UMKC's dedication to various fields of research. To qualify, an institution must spend $50 million every year on research, and award at least 70 doctorates annually, as well. 'It's a very big moment for UMKC and a very big moment for Kansas City,' Agrawal said. UMKC leaders are proud of the university's focus on research studies in healthcare, defense, radiation and energy. Agrawal said groups who provide grant money look favorably on this designation since there are only 187 Carnegie R1 status institutions in the United States. 'It takes a lot of hard work on behalf of students and faculty and staff to do all kinds of research and scholarship, and also train graduate students and doctorates. It takes years of work to rise to that level,' Agrawal said. As it pertains to healthcare, professionals in the field respect this status. Dick Flanagan, serves on UMKC's board of regents, and he's a fan of what this does for UMKC's graduates. 'They stay here in the greater Kansas City area. That's the part that people like me, and people who work in healthcare, and people who work in business appreciate about what this university does,' Flanigan, who is also CEO of Digital Health KC, said. The chancellor also says this makes UMKC a gem of a world-class research university, and it raises the overall profile of Kansas City as a healthcare leader. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
