Kansas City is down to the final details of its ambitious effort to host this year’s NFL Draft, an event that is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to its main downtown site and other events around the area for three days beginning April 27. A giant stage is under construction in front […]
Mili Mansaray
Mili Mansaray is The Beacon’s former housing and labor reporter and began covering the beat in 2022. She’s documented the concentration of housing ownership by corporate interests and explored challenges to Kansas City’s homeless shelter capacity. She received training through the Solutions Journalism Network’s labor cohort. She has a bachelor’s degree in digital journalism and Africana studies from New York University. She also studied abroad in Argentina. She was a business reporting intern for the Dow Jones News Fund. She was an audio intern for The Urban Scene with Don Frierson on WGCV 105.1 in Columbia, South Carolina. She has lived in Kansas City since 2022.
Posted inLabor
KC group wants to give Black children the skills to succeed in tech
In more than two decades of working in the tech industry, Tammy Buckner rarely saw co-workers who look like her. “I didn’t see women represented in technology and specifically Black women represented in technology,” said Buckner, who has held jobs such as software developer, project manager and business analyst. In 2018, she asked a friend […]
Posted inEconomics, Local Government
FAQ: What you need to know about Kansas City’s new airport
Nearly one month has passed since the opening of the new terminal at Kansas City International Airport, and visitors still seem dazzled as they browse in shops and admire the art in the airy shopping nodes, with the aromas of barbecue and Brazilian dishes drifting from the many restaurants situated around the two concourses.
Since its Feb. 28 opening, the terminal has screened over 300,000 passengers. The Beacon is sharing up-to-date information about some questions that have popped up since the terminal came online.
Posted inCivic Engagement, Local Government
A guide to the Kansas City Council primary: 2nd District at-large candidates
The 2nd District encompasses areas of Kansas City’s Northland.
Posted inCivic Engagement, Local Government
5th District at-large: Who’s running for City Council and what you need to know
Editor’s note: For candidates on the June 20th City Council ballot, visit our updated story. Kansas City’s primary election is set for April 4. Councilman Lee Barnes Jr., who has represented the 5th District at-large on the City Council for eight years, is prevented by term limits from running again. Three candidates from the district […]
Posted inHealth, Labor
This Kansas City organization has a prescription for more Black doctors
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated Jamila Weaver’s work status. She is a former facilitator for DEI training at St. Luke’s Health system. Dr. Michael Weaver in 1977 was the first Black student to fully complete the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s School of Medicine program that enables students to earn bachelor’s and medical […]
Posted inCivic Engagement, Local Government
These are the most pressing issues for the District 6 City Council candidates
Kevin McManus, the 6th District Kansas City Council member who also serves as mayor pro tem, is stepping down this year after two council terms. Five candidates are running to replace him as the representative for the district that covers the southwest reaches of the Kansas City, including parts of the Red Bridge neighborhood, Waldo, […]
Posted inEconomics
As Royals look to build a new $2 billion stadium, Kansas City service workers want to see employee protections
Bill Thompson cooks at a fast-food restaurant, shares a car with his wife and helps care for an older family member. He’s got a lot to manage, but Thompson has found time to attend “listening sessions” that the Kansas City Royals have organized to discuss plans for a new downtown ballpark. “We want to have […]
Posted inCivic Engagement
Months after Sirrena Truitt’s body was found, her family says justice is still missing
Correction: This story has been updated to include information from KCPD that homicide detectives reached out to a next of kin with information about Sirrena Truitt’s case in November, December and February. On Feb. 9, Kansas City police identified a body found buried in a backyard in the 5600 block of Paloma Avenue as that […]
Posted inLabor
New KCI terminal launches careers in construction for women, minorities
Since 2021, Rita Johnson has been working to build the new KCI terminal as a laborer on the airport construction site, doing demolition work and picking up after other trades. Before her time at the terminal, Johnson had never worked construction a day in her life. In fact, she was in health care administration for […]