Kansas City Archives – The Kansas City Defender

Say His Name: Saveion. A Missouri Deputy Rammed the Unarmed Black Teenager With His Patrol Car, Then Executed Him. He Was Accused of No Crime.

By Ryan S. ● Justice ● June 10, 2026

The law firm that won lawsuits for the family of George Floyd and the family of Sonya Massey has come to Missouri to fight for Saveion McConnell. Witnesses say the nineteen-year-old’s hands were up when the deputy shot him. More than a month later, the deputy faces no charges. This Friday, Saveion’s mother is calling on Kansas City to rally beside her in Lexington, the seat of the county that killed her son.

Latest in Kansas City

Jackson County Executive Candidate Called a ‘Belligerent Racist’ at Kansas City’s Biggest Black Political Gathering

By Ryan S. ● Politics ● June 9, 2026

At the Urban Summit’s youth vote panel, six candidates for one of Kansas City’s most powerful political offices came to be heard, in a heated session that more than once turned to open insult. The Black youth on the panel came to be reckoned with, and answered with the clearest vision of the county’s future anyone on stage had to offer.

Public Risk, Private Wealth, and the Royals’ Crown Center Deal

By Mili Mansaray & Ryan S. ● Kansas City ● April 27, 2026

How 11 council members advanced the framework to commit $600 million in taxpayer money as collateral for a billionaire’s stadium.

23 Organizations Launch Campaign to Stop KC’s World Cup Jail Before It Opens

By Ryan S. ● Kansas City ● March 31, 2026

Kansas City wants to welcome the world. It’s building a cage to do it. But a rapidly growing movement says the fight is far from over.

Local KC Leaders Gleefully Celebrate $317M Investment in Caging Black and Brown People, Note Facility ‘Designed for Future Expansion’

By Ryan S. ● Abolition ● March 30, 2026

Officials celebrate ‘justice with dignity’ vision for building specifically designed to strip people of both

KCPD Holds Taxpayers Hostage While Shielding a Killer in Blue

By Ryan S. ● Justice ● February 5, 2026

The department has received $1.2 billion since 2022. Now it claims it can’t afford basic services while an officer who has killed three people remains on patrol. A Kansas City Defender investigation.

From Pop-Ups to a Permanent Home: The Outsiders Social Club Reimagines Co-Working in Kansas City

By Tiffany Watts ● Black Business ● January 29, 2026

A new Westport social hub blends coffee, collaboration, and community for Kansas City creatives.

Kansas City at Center of ICE Nationwide Concentration Camp Network

By Ryan S. ● National ● January 21, 2026

ICE is eyeing to make Kansas City one of seven “mega centers” in its unprecedented concentration camp network. A local real estate company, Platform Ventures, may “sell out” Kansas City by selling a taxpayer-subsidized warehouse to make it happen. And federal agents are already terrorizing KC residents & going door-to-door.

Kansas City Winter Resources for the Unhoused: What to Do and Where to Go When Temperatures Drop

By Tiffany Watts ● Housing ● December 22, 2025

As winter settles in, hundreds of Kansas Citians are facing the cold without shelter. This guide pulls together shelter, food, medical, and warming resources so people living outside, families navigating homelessness, and those looking to help know where to turn.

Damning Transcript Exposes Truth Behind Holy Brunch Closure

By Ryan S. ● Editorial ● December 11, 2025

What began as a federal RICO lawsuit has become one of Kansas City’s most explosive legal sagas. Now, Holy Brunch’s owner is blaming Black media for his closure and screenshotting a Black woman reporter in an expletive-laden Facebook diatribe. But court transcripts expose what he knew all along.