Ryan S.

he/him/his or they/them/theirs.

Ryan has a diverse background including working at one of the nation’s most esteemed Black think tanks, one of Chicago’s top B2B Tech PR agencies, a top 3 global PR firm, and founding Kansas City’s largest Black-led direct action group during the 2020 uprisings. During Ryan’s professional career he’s consulted brands such as Facebook, Samsung, Amazon and Google.

He is a recipient of the Civil and Human Rights Award recognized by the Urban League of Kansas City, Southern Christian Leadership Conference and NAACP. He has also engaged in a number of public talks as a prison industrial complex Abolitionist thinker including on; NPR, PBS, a Kansas City Art Institute Lecture, a lecture at University of the Arts London, the Annual International Symposium (Digital Ethics for a Sustainable Society), as well as the T-Mobile Speaker Series.

Burning Books: Missouri GOP Candidate Channels the KKK and Nazi Tactics in Ominous Promise

By Ryan S. ● Politics ● September 19, 2023

In a shocking move, far-right extremist and Missouri State Sen. Bill Eigel vows to engage in public book burnings, a tactic synonymous with hate groups like the KKK and authoritarian regimes. Eigel’s campaign marks a disturbing escalation in a state already known as a breeding ground for extremist ideologies.

It’s Official: Kansas City Had The Highest Rent Hike In The United States

By Ryan S. ● Housing ● September 7, 2023

Kansas City leads the U.S. in skyrocketing rent, deepening housing inequalities and jeopardizing the well-being of its most vulnerable residents.

America’s First Black-Owned Hard Seltzer is From Kansas City, & the Founders Just Got a $3 Million Investment From a Former Chiefs Player

By Ryan S. ● Black Business ● September 6, 2023

Discover how Kansas City-based Kin Seltzer, America’s first-ever Black-owned hard seltzer brand, has secured a pivotal $3 million investment from former Chiefs player Dezman Moses, underlining a period of booming Black entrepreneurship in Missouri’s beverage sector

Roaches, Mice, Mass Flooding: Residents At KC’s Quality Hill Towers Living In Lethal Conditions Under “Predator Landlord” Who Still Demands Full Rent Payments

By Ryan S. ● Housing ● September 5, 2023

Despite the horrifying conditions, the resident’s “predator landlord” still demands full rent — fueling an uprising among tenants who’ve had enough.

KC Community Rallies as Appeals Court Revisits First-Ever Conviction of a White Cop for Killing A Black Man

By Ryan S. ● Justice ● September 5, 2023

Kansas City faces a watershed moment as the community rallies and the Appeals Court reviews the first-ever conviction of a white KCPD cop for killing a Black man.

No Books Allowed: Missouri Prisons Ban Loved Ones From Sending Books to People in Prison

By Ryan S. ● Justice ● August 30, 2023

Missouri Prisons have unleashed a new form of cruelty—banning books sent by friends and family to incarcerated individuals. This is more than just a policy, it’s an attack on freedom and human dignity.

Systemic Neglect Exposed: Elders Suffer as Elevator Fails in Kansas City Senior Home

By Ryan S. ● Justice ● August 29, 2023

Uncover the harsh reality of life for elders at Town House Apartments in Kansas City, where a broken elevator serves as a symbol of systemic neglect and mistreatment. Only one elevator works in the 14-story complex.

Black Genius Reclaimed: Langston Hughes’ Birthplace in Joplin, Missouri, to be Honored as Historic Landmark

By Ryan S. ● Arts & Culture ● August 29, 2023

Langston Hughes’ birthplace in Joplin, Missouri, has been definitively located and is set to become a historic landmark, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Langston Hughes Society. Read on to find out how this monumental discovery is not just an act of remembrance but a radical statement in reclaiming Black culture and history.

A Paradigm Shift: Decarcerate KC Galvanizes Kansas City to Consider Innovative Alternatives to Incarceration

By Ryan S. ● Justice ● July 24, 2023

In a major shift led by Decarcerate KC, the Kansas City Alternatives to Incarceration Commission made a groundbreaking vote not to recommend any new jail beds to the city council. This victory, borne of steadfast community advocacy, underscores the city’s growing momentum towards exploring innovative alternatives to incarceration and rejecting the idea of a new jail.

Rising from the Ashes: The Two-Year Journey of The Kansas City Defender – Collectively Imagining an Abolitionist Future

By Ryan S. ● Justice ● July 13, 2023

The Kansas City Defender’s Editor discusses his compelling journey and why he decided to launch the Black radical, Abolitionist, digital news startup.

Ryan S.

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