The Black experience in the U.S. has historically focused on advancing the cause of freedom—not only freedom from enslavement but economic freedom, civil rights, and the pursuit of happiness—a fundamental right of all Americans. First celebrated in 1866, the year after slavery was formally abolished in the U.S., the Juneteenth holiday commemorates Black emancipation and achievement.
In the spirit of Juneteenth, local historian Erik Stafford explores how African Americans in Kansas City pursued freedom, from escaping their enslavers through the Underground Railroad to establishing a thriving Black business community in the first half of the 20th century.
Drawing from his book Chasing After Freedom: Prophecies Fulfilled in the Scriptures, Stafford examines the stories of enslaved people who followed the Blue River through what is now Swope Park in a race for freedom. He further details the rise of Black entrepreneurship in Kansas City, highlighting Black business leaders such as Winston Holmes, Felix Payne, Homer Roberts, Ella and Reuben Street, and other visionaries.
A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Stafford owns and founded the Kansas City Tour Company, which spotlights historical sites around the city related to civil rights, jazz, organized crime, and Black enterprise.
