Urban League ‘bus about unity’ rolls on Kansas City streets with social justice call
This Kansas City Area Transportation Authority’s bus will be doing more than helping riders get from Point A to Point B — It will be a large mobile calling card for unity, equity and justice in the metropolitan area.
The Urban League of Greater Kansas City and the KCATA unveiled the bus during a press conference Wednesday afternoon to commemorate Black History Month and the Urban League’s 100-year Civil Rights legacy.
“We are so excited today to roll out this Urban League bus that promotes racial equity and social justice across Kansas City,” said Gwen Grant, president and chief executive officer of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City. “This is a bus about unity. This is a bus about justice. This is a bus about peace. This is a bus about access to opportunity for all people in the greater Kansas City community.”
Rather than the typical blue and silver colors seen on the buses running local routes, this bus is black and has bold statements calling for social justice and racial equity.
“Still in the Fight,” “Working for Unity,” “Honor Black History” and “With Equity & Justice for All” are just some of the messages on the side of the bus.
“This is a grand gesture,” Grant said. “This is an important opportunity for Kansas City to see these bold statements about all that we aspire to do with the regard to racial equity, with regard to diversity, with regard to inclusion all across Kansas City.”
Grant said it’s her first time seeing a black bus and that “this is the most beautiful bus I have ever seen.”
Bus operator Tessell McIntosh said that he really loves driving this bus and feels honored to do so.
“I’ve never seen a bus like this before, ever,” he said. “When I walked up to it, I was like, ‘You mean to tell me I get to drive this bus?” This is an awesome bus. This bus is beautiful.”
Although the bus is coming out at the end of Black History Month, it will be running on routes throughout all of Kansas City for the remainder of the year.
“We are proud and honored to be a part of this partnership as we have been for a long time,” said said Robbie Makinen, KCATA’s president and chief executive officer. “The stuff that Gwen Grant and the Urban League do is bar none one of the single most important elements that goes on, especially in a year or two like we’ve had now.”
Public transit is that one thing that breaks down barriers to get people the equity and opportunity to get to where they need to go, Makinen said.
“The return on investment for compassion, social equity and empathy far outweighs the return on investment for concrete and asphalt,” he said. “We’re very proud to roll this bus out.”
A team from Barkley, a Kansas City-based advertising and marketing firm, designed the bus and its messages.
The new bus will be used on regular bus routes across Kansas City as well as to take seniors to vaccination sites throughout the community. The bus might be used to take voters to the polls during the April election, which includes Kansas City’s earnings tax renewal question and school board races and issues.
This story was originally published February 24, 2021, 3:05 PM.
