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Neighborhood Champion: Julie Boye

May 29, 2019  |    |  1 min read

They do it for no pay and little fanfare. Who are they? They are the neighborhood leaders who fight to improve some of the most distressed neighborhoods on the East Side of Kansas City, Missouri. These are the men and women who advocate for better housing, less crime, and more economic opportunity. Through its coverage of the 2019 election in the city, Kansas City PBS introduces you to some of the unsung leaders in the community.

This year’s municipal elections in Kansas City, Missouri, promise sweeping political changes in the metropolitan area’s largest city. A new mayor and a host of freshmen council members will emerge when the final votes are counted in June. Kansas City PBS will focus its election coverage on three topics that these new elected officials will face: affordable housing, violent crime and business tax incentives. We will tell our stories from some of Kansas City’s most hard-pressed neighborhoods. Keep tabs on our coverage by following us on social at #WhoWillLeadKC.

Reading these stories is free, but telling them is not. Start your monthly gift now to support Flatland’s community-focused reporting.

The Checkered History of Bruce R. Watkins Drive

August 19, 2026

East Side residents have long complained that this stretch of U.S Highway 71 cleaved Black neighborhoods. The road is also considered unsafe for pedestrians and drivers.

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