The Kansas City Defender

12/21/2024

🚨 BREAKING: Missouri Governor Mike Parson has officially freed Eric DeValkenaere, the white ex-KCPD detective convicted of executing Cameron Lamb, an unarmed Black man in his own backyard in December 2019.

Community members describe this as “nothing short of a declaration of war against, and a license to kill Black people in Missouri.”

President & CEO of the Urban League of Kansas City told The Defender in a scathing statement "this reprehensible act speaks volumes about Parson’s priorities: clemency for a white former officer who took a Black life yet continued refusal to grant clemency for wrongfully convicted Black men like Kevin Strickland and Marcellus Williams."

To be crystal clear: DeValkenaere's conviction was more than historic – it was in fact a statistical miracle in a system designed to protect white cops who murder Black people. In KCPD's 145+ year reign of terror, he was the first and only white cop ever convicted for killing a Black person.

"I am asking that you respect the rule of law, as I have always done," pleaded Laurie Bey, Lamb's mother, before the commutation. "A man found guilty... should not be pardoned. It's not the right thing to do."

Despite DeValkenaere's desperate attempts to escape accountability, multiple courts saw through the thin blue line of protection. The appellate courts upheld his conviction in October 2023, and the Missouri Supreme Court rejected his appeal in March 2024. Even a federal court ruled in September 2024 that DeValkenaere had no legal right to invade Lamb's property before killing him.

For Black people in Missouri, this sends a chilling message as we descend further into an era of emboldened fascism and white supremacy: not even your own backyard is sacred ground.

Thus, we must take heed of this message and remain vigilant - organizing our communities, protecting our people, and building power.

This moment crystallizes what we've long known – reform is a band-aid on a system designed to crush Black life. The only path forward is the complete abolition of the police state and the entire carceral machine that protects killer cops while criminalizing Black existence.

12/17/2024

🥦🍅🥕 CHRISTMAS EVE we are Hosting our final Grocery Buyout of 2024 to give Direct Cash to Black families to purchase groceries, toys and other important items.

In October 2022 we launched our first ever Grocery Buyout at Wild Woody's Food Center on 31st St. We saw the beauty and joy on our people's faces when we approached them not to ask for anything, but to simply give them cash and tell them thank you for existing. If they'd like, we'd say, we are also happy to give them information about our organization and the work we do in the community. It is a beautiful way to love and support Black people. And now we return for our final Grocery Buyout of 2024, just in time for the holidays.

HOW TO SUPPORT OUR CHRISTMAS EVE GROCERY BUYOUT 💵

We are able to do these grocery buyouts because of community donations and support. If you'd like to contribute to our Christmas Eve Grocery Buyout, please Cashapp or Venmo.

CashApp: $KCDefender
Venmo:
Kansascitydefender.com/support-us

All donations go directly to Black families for groceries and toys this Christmas Eve.

12/06/2024

🚨 MISSOURI REPUBLICAN PROPOSES NAZI-ERA BILL: $1000 BOUNTY HUNTER PROGRAM OF UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE

Missouri lawmakers are pushing a horrifying new bill that would pay citizens $1,000 to report undocumented people in their communities, creating a nazi-era bounty system.

Senate Bill 72, introduced by racist, far-right extremist Senator-elect David Gregory, proposes turning ordinary people and bail bond agents into bounty hunters, empowered to hunt down migrants in exchange for cash rewards.

This plan would also block undocumented people from receiving basic necessities like driver's licenses or any path to legal residency in Missouri. Once reported, undocumented people could be jailed with no chance for probation or parole. It’s a fascistic and dangerous system that would tear apart families, fuel fear, and deepen divisions in our communities.

To be clear, no one of European descent should dictate the terms of immigration when their ancestors arrived here through theft, violence, and genocide, establishing borders not for justice but to consolidate power. Conversations about migration must shift to center those who have been displaced and oppressed by these systems—not the descendants of colonizers who created them.

This proposed bounty system is reminiscent of tactics used in N**i Germany, where ordinary citizens were incentivized to report their Jewish neighbors to authorities. It’s a chilling reminder of how fascism thrives on fear and division, turning communities against themselves.

The timing of this proposal is no accident. With Donald Trump set to take office in two months, this kind of legislation signals the rapid approach of a more openly fascist regime. Trump’s past policies have already shown a pattern of targeting Black, brown, and immigrant communities, and this bill fits squarely into that playbook.

This is a developing story.

12/03/2024

🚨Apartment Fire Leaves KC Family Unhoused & With Nothing, In Urgent Need Of Help

Yesterday, Teeshia Madge, a beloved community member, shared that her cousin and her three children lost EVERYTHING in a devastating apartment fire.

"Good afternoon everyone! This is something that I typically do not do but today l'm asking the community to please come together," She wrote in a heartfelt message.

"My cousin's apartment building caught fire yesterday while her and her children were sleeping. She lived on the second floor and lost everything. BUT GODS grace has saved their lives. We are taking donations of any kind, clothes, coats, shoes, toiletries, monetary etc. whatever one is able to donate she will gratefully appreciate. Please if it's in your will inbox me for the drop off location. She has no idea that I'm asking about this but I just felt I have to do something."

They are asking for any and all assistance to help them rebuild their lives. Teeshia has set up a GoFundMe to provide them with essential support: https://gofund.me/ba33beaa

They urgently need clothes, coats, shoes, toiletries, and monetary donations to find temporary housing and begin to recover.

Sizes:
👦🏾 Boy (6 years old): 4T-5T, shoe size 8/9
👧🏾 Girl (9 years old): 7/8, shoe size 1 1/2
👩🏾‍🦱 Young woman (23 years old): XL shirt, L pants, shoe size 8 1/2
👩🏾 Mom: XL shirt, L pants, shoe size 5 1/2-6

If you have items to donate, please inbox Teeshias Sandwiches N Scoops for the drop-off location.

GoFundMe link: https://gofund.me/ba33beaa

12/02/2024

🚨 Ex-Cop Who Ran S*x Trafficking Ring Found Dead on the Day His Federal Trial Was Set to Begin

THE BACKGROUND 📝

This morning, Roger Golubski, the white former Kansas City Kansas Police Department cop, accused of serial r**e, underage s*x trafficking, extortion, bribery, and coverups was found dead in his Edwardsville home, on the day his federal trial was supposed to begin for ra**ng and torturing Black women over decades, authorities said.

In addition to the two survivors at the center of the criminal trial, seven other women were prepared to testify to his pattern of s*xual violence, harassment, and coercion. The allegations span decades, exposing a vile system where Golubski’s crimes were not only tolerated but enabled by his peers and superiors.

While some reports have ruled Golubski’s death a su***de, other outlets such as the Associated Press, and NBC News did not make such determinations. One local organization which has brought attention to Golubski’s crimes for years told The Defender;

“We know too much to trust the words of the KCKPD that Golubski died by su***de. We expect a full autopsy and an outside independent investigation,” Lora McDonald, Executive Director of MORE2 told The Defender. “The department has done absolutely nothing when it comes to Golubski except now declaring his death a su***de. They owe his victims better than that.”

In court documents, one survivor described being taken to a cemetery by Golubski, where he coldly told her to choose a grave for herself. Starting when she was only in middle school, he repeatedly r**ed and assaulted her, a campaign of violence so relentless that it caused her to miscarry.

Dr. Nikia Robert, abolitionist scholar and professor at Kansas University, expressed the deep outrage shared by many following news of the death, saying: “I am deeply grieved for his victims, mainly Black mothers and their children. I am also mad as hell. White male privilege. He had the power to take his life in an attempt to escape the consequences. May he now face the eternal Judge of vengeance and righteousness.”

Golubski’s death denies survivors their opportunity to confront him in court, but the fight for accountability and justice is far from over.

This is a developing story.

11/25/2024

Beloved Black restaurant “KC Daiquiri Shop,” announced their impending closure earlier this morning 💔

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closing of our beloved KC Daiquiri Shop on Dec 1st,” wrote the restaurant owners Calvin & Kinley. “After six incredible years of serving you, this decision has not come lightly. We have faced a slow economy, challenges with local and state government, and ongoing legal battles with neighboring businesses that have been less than supportive.”

The announcement came as a striking blow to the Black restaurant community and broader lovers of the community space the restaurant served. It was an incredibly unique restaurant concept and there is nowhere in the city like it.

This is now the 5th Black-owned restaurant forced to close in 2024 alone, as Kansas City’s Black restaurant community continues to undergo an urgent crisis.

The owners went on to say;

“Throughout our journey, we have been proud to provide not just delicious food and drinks, but also a place where our community could gather, connect, and celebrate. We have created jobs, offered opportunities to second-chance felons and our displaced citizens, and continued to foster a sense of belonging that we hope has enriched your lives as much as it has enriched ours.

While this chapter is coming to a close, we want to emphasize that this is not the end. It is a chance for us to regroup, reflect, and rebuild. We believe in the resilience of our community and the power of support we have always shared. We trust that this moment will lead to new beginnings and opportunities for us all.

Thank you for the love, support, and memories over the years. We will carry the spirit of the DaqShop and the connections we’ve made into whatever comes next. Keep an eye out for what lies ahead—we are excited for the future!

With gratitude and hope,

Calvin & Kinley,
Owners KC Daiquiri Shop”

11/24/2024

🚨 FREE FOOD & FREE CLOTHES TOMORROW (MONDAY) AT CENTRAL PUBLIC LIBRARY, 4PM-6PM

The Kansas City Defender is hosting "The People's Free Clothing Giveaway" tomorrow (Monday, Nov. 25th) at Central Public Library. Free food by District Fish & Pasta, and FREE CLOTHES, including; jackets, coats, gloves, socks, hand warmers, hygiene items & more! children & adults.

Why We Are Doing This: Each year, Black, brown and poor people face life-threatening risks due to freezing weather. In one of the richest countries in the world, people die simply because they lack a coat or warm socks. This is especially true for our unhoused community who are literally being criminalized for being in poverty!

We refuse to let this happen in our community. Our Free Clothing Program is a means where people unable to buy decent clothing or lacking funds to buy good quality, stylish clothing can outfit themselves at absolutely no expense.

Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions or would like to collaborate.

11/22/2024

🚨BREAKING: Jay Z's Team Roc Sues Kansas City Kansas Police Department citing corruption, s*x crimes, extortion & more.

THE BACKGROUND 📝

For DECADES, the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department (KCKPD) has operated as a criminal terrorist enterprise—a hub of corruption, extortion, s*x crimes, and coverups.

Now, the world is finally watching. Jay-Z’s Team Roc, alongside the Midwest Innocence Project, has filed a lawsuit demanding records that could reveal the full scope of the department’s reign of terror.

In a lawsuit filed Tuesday alongside the Midwest Innocence Project, Team Roc accuses the KCKPD and city of KCK of deliberately obstructing access to public records. The suit points to a November 2023 request seeking documents that would expose the department's “longstanding” and “alarming” pattern of abuse targeting minority and immigrant communities.

“Defendants have stonewalled plaintiffs for almost a year,” the lawsuit filed in Wyandotte County District Court states.

“We have to set a precedent that transparency and accountability are non- negotiable,” Team ROC managing director Dania Diaz said in a statement. “For the past year, we’ve been pushing for documents from the government and have been continuously met with non-compliance. It’s unacceptable – getting access to those materials is critical to exposing the corruption, reforming local policies, and helping the local community heal.”

This lawsuit emerges just weeks before the December trial of ex-KCKPD detective Roger Golubski, one of the highest ranking officers in KCKPD for over 30 years, who faces federal charges for leading a s*x trafficking ring targeting underage Black girls, extortion and more. If convicted, Golubski will spend the rest of his life in prison.

The spotlight on KCKPD didn’t appear out of nowhere. This moment is the result of DECADES of fearless grassroots organizing by Black victims and survivors who risked their lives to speak out - as well as organizations such as Midwest Innocence Project, MORE2, Operation Liberation, Decarcerate KC, and more.

This is a developing story.

11/20/2024

‘I’d Rather Be Persecuted Than Silent’: Rockhurst Fires Teacher for Standing With the Oppressed & Resisting Fascism

James Gillcrist, Iraq-war veteran, anti-racist advocate who was arrested during the 2020 uprisings, a high school theology and philosophy teacher, was fired from Rockhurst High School for speaking out against Trump’s racist & fascist agenda. His open letter is a fearless, incendiary, prophetic call to action.

“I pray I am a fool so as not to be exposed as a coward,” wrote James Gillcrist in an extraordinary open letter to the Rockhurst High School community.

Gillcrist’s outspokenness came to a head after he recently condemned the president-elect’s fascist threats of mass deportations and crackdowns on dissenters.

“I firmly and clearly believe students have a moral obligation to stand up, speak out, and risk their well-being, reputation, criminal record, and, God forbid, their life to defend those being targeted,” he said during an ethics class.

Gillcrist’s history of confrontation with power is long and storied. During the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests in Kansas City, he was violently arrested by riot police.

“Were I in Germany in the 1930s, how long would I have waited before speaking out? Were I convinced of the evil on the horizon, would I pause? Worry for my job? My livelihood?”

His parting words to the community are both a warning and a rallying cry: “If and when [Trump] asks for ‘enemies from within,’ please mention me. I would rather be rounded up at the beginning of the persecution than silently survive.”

Click the link in comments to read our Full Story.

11/19/2024

🚨 POLICE EXECUTE MOTHER AND INFANT, COVER UP TRUTH

Maria Pike and her 2-month-old baby, Destiny, were horrifically shot and murdered by Independence police after responding to a domestic dispute. Community members are calling this a state-sanctioned ex*****on.

🔍 THE BACKGROUND

Baby Destiny’s grandmother called 911 during Maria (Destiny’s mother) mental health episode, reporting a domestic altercation. Police later stormed the building armed with military-grade weapons. Instead of de-escalation, they opened fire on a 100-pound woman holding her baby, shooting the baby in the head killing her instantly, and shooting again killing the mother.

📹 THE COVER-UP

Standing before the cameras, Police Chief Dustman asserted without question that Maria Pike was “armed”—a claim directly contradicted by eyewitnesses and unsubstantiated by any evidence thus far. He claimed his officers did “exactly what they are trained to do.”

While apparently able to know with certainty within hours of the tragedy that Maria was allegedly “armed,” he refused to answer the simplest and most basic question: did his officers kill an infant. “I cannot confirm any of that,” Dustman stated. “I’m not going to identify or get into any sort of ages or anything like that.”

📣 WHAT THE FAMILY & COMMUNITY IS SAYING

The family has vowed to keep fighting for justice.

“We can’t keep having these cops kill our loved ones and our community members” Mitchell’s sister Felisha Holder told The Defender in an interview.

“I was out there protesting in 2020, I know what the police do. I saw what they did to George Floyd and many others. Obviously my family’s not Black but I see the violence they inflict on everyone. I’ve protested at the jails, we can’t keep letting them get away with this.”

💲❤️ A GoFundMe has been created to cover funeral expenses for Destiny, with relatives determined to give the infant “a beautiful funeral.”

Independence police recklessly kill Maria Pike and shot her 2-month-old infant Destiny Hope in the head. Community demands justice & for police to "stop the coverup"

11/19/2024

Do you have gently used or new winter clothing?

The KC Defender’s Free Clothing Program is collecting Winter Clothing — coats, hoodies, socks (new), blankets & more — to help prepare for the harsh winter ahead.

📍 Drop off your donations this weekend at Willa’s Bookstore:

When: Saturday, 1 PM – 5 PM
Where: 5549 Troost Ave.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM & WHY NOW ❤️

Each year, Black and poor people face life-threatening risks due to freezing weather. In one of the richest countries in the world, people die simply because they lack a coat or warm socks. We refuse to let that happen in our community.
Black and poor people, especially children, often lack the necessary clothing to maintain good health.

Our Free Clothing Program is a means where people unable to buy decent clothing or lacking funds to buy good quality, stylish clothing can outfit themselves at absolutely no expense.

10/11/2024

BREAKING: City Council Moves Forward Plans to Build $800 Million Human Caging Facility

The vote comes as Kansas City Public Schools crumble under decades of neglect and plead for additional funding.

THE BACKGROUND

Kansas City is once again deepening its commitment to build a racist and destructive jail—this time by quietly passing an ordinance to spend $2.3 million of your tax dollars to purchase land to construct a new massive city jail (even though the public doesn’t vote on the jail itself until 2025).

The total cost of a new city human caging facility would be nearly $800 million over its lifetime if passed.

Councilman Johnathan Duncan denounced yesterday’s ordinance vote in a statement to The Kansas City Defender:

“It's not a good return on investment. This facility will do nothing to address the public safety issues that are top of mind for most Kansas Citians...It won’t address the root causes of crime which are poverty, lack of affordable housing, and lack of jobs.”

“We'd rather that money be spent on education, housing assistance, utility assistance, substance abuse programs, upgrades on public schooling, day care assistance, job placement programs, you know, s**t that makes a community better!” said Community Organizer & Entrepreneur Anthony Heru Amen-Ra in an interview with The Defender.

THE FACTS

Black people make up 24% of the city’s population but nearly 70% of those currently locked up on city charges.

People who are released from jail are up to 40 times more likely to overdose in the two weeks following their release.

"People released from incarceration are 18 times more likely to commit su***de than those without a history of incarceration," the Kansas City study found.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STOP THIS

The battle to stop this racist human caging facility from being built is not yet lost, and in fact, is only beginning.

If you are interested in organizing to stop Mass Incarceration, racist policing, police brutality and more, we recommend DM’ing organizations like Decarcerate KC (who we collaborated with on this post).

As Kansas City Public Schools crumble under decades of neglect and chronic underfunding, the City Council has quietly moved forward with a plan to build an $800 million jail.

10/03/2024

Thank you all so much for partnering with us on this incredible event for the community ❤️💪🏾 District Fish & Pasta house

10/02/2024

Join us for KC's first annual Black Feast Week!

Discover a world of flavors from beloved hole-in-the-wall hood joints to luxurious fine dining.

Get the latest updates when you sign up for The Defender Briefing today and taste something truly special.

From October 1st to October 14th, we’ll be featuring nearly every major Black restaurant in the city of Kansas City, highlighting our city’s extraordinary Black culinary talent.