Barbara Johnson’s east Kansas City neighborhood once had all she needed: homes filled with other kids and families, vibrant schools, churches, and places to shop, all within walking distance. It was her whole world.
“We had everything on this side of Troost, everything for Black folks to live,” Johnson said. “Our grocery stores — we had Milgram, Safeway — all of that was available to us.”
Johnson, who was born in Tennessee, moved to Kansas City with her family at 16. Racial covenants and other discriminatory housing practices dictated where they could live in the 1960s. Still, Johnson grew to love her neighborhood…