Mayor Sly James says he is excited to be part of a panel discussion on Feb. 25 in association with Your Fellow Americans, a unique multimedia initiative discussing race, immigration, and the American Dream.
“I hope we have a full house at the Gem Theater, because the issues that are on the table are important to everyone who, like me, loves Kansas City and wants to make it better than it is,” James said.
The series is co-produced by KCPT’s Hale Center for Journalism and Brainroot Light & Sound, a Kansas City-based video production company that describes itself as “a small group of guys that have a knack for video and a heart for our city.”
The project is unique in that the series episodes — short videos interviewing families about their experiences as citizens — are released weekly online. The series is aimed at encouraging conversations — online and in other ways — on race and immigration topics.
“The hope is that viewers will discover that they have more similarities than differences with their fellow Americans,” according to Kliff Kuehl, president and CEO of KCPT. “By engaging with the series, we want viewers to feel enabled and encouraged to discuss the sensitive subjects of racism, prejudice, and immigration in calm conversation.”
James said he considers Wednesday’s panel discussion to be just one of many conversations that emanate from this project.
“I am joining panelists who represent diverse communities of our city,” James said. “This will be a thought-provoking evening that I hope will get people thinking and talking about who we are, and the kind of city we want to be.”
###
Note to editors and reporters: Coverage of the panel discussion is invited. Your Fellow Americans will be held Wednesday, February 25, at 6 p.m. at the Gem Theater, 1615 East 18th Street, Kansas City, MO 64108. For more information visit http://www.kcpt.org/programs/
