KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Amid record-breaking violence plaguing Kansas City, Missouri, this summer, a city-wide tradition that goes back more than 20 years returned Friday with the first Mayor’s Nights event of 2020.
Since the program expanded in 2013 to include Club KC, the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department said they immediately saw a decrease in juvenile arrests in KCMO.
The goal of the program is to provide a safe space where kids can be their authentic selves.
"You can't tell kids where they can't go," KC Parks Deputy Director Roosevelt Lyons said. "You have to tell them where they can go."
The 2020 launch of the annual initiative comes at what some call a crucial time.
"The idea that there has to be the safe place for kids to go and to express themselves and to have fun is more important, because they're going to do it,” Lyons said. “The question is where do they do it and will they do it some place safe?"
For 13-year-old Devion Blackwell, who goes by "King D" among his social-media followers, putting his life experiences and emotions into rap lyrics provides an outlet.
"I just want to show the world what I can do and stop gun violence,” Blackwell said.
For some volunteers, Mayor’s Nights are about giving back to the organization that gave so much to them.
“This is actually pretty special to me," Michael Rose-Ivey, Lincoln College Prep football coach and Mayor's Night volunteer, said. "This organization was the organization I played for when I was in Little League."
Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the unrest that followed George Floyd's death in Minneapolis, it's been a difficult time for everyone, including children who were forced to finish the school year from home.
"With the current unrest right now, there is a lot of tension no matter where you go, so it's even more important to have these positive interactions with kids," Lyons said. "We have KCPD here at all of our sites. That's probably one of the biggest benefits. There's officers talking to kids and back-and-forth."
Current circumstances have dictated some changes for Mayor's Nights. Health and safety remain a priority and will be managed through several avenues, Lyons said.
There will be no contact sports this summer but rather more one-on-one skill training as opposed to drills. Wearing face masks, washing hands regularly and maintaining a safe social distance will also cause activities to look different.
"Before, there was music, there was dancing and a lot of hot, sweaty teenagers all packed into one space — a little different these days,” Lyons said as he laughed while explaining the “much more isolated and individual arts activities.”
It's all part of trying to help raise our children right in KCMO.
“You have to be prepared to be that second, third parent," Rose-Ivey said. "Either way, if they had both parents, one parent, no parent, in the foster system — it takes a village."
The cost to take part in Mayor’s Night programming is a one-time $5 fee per child ages 11 to 18 years old for the entire summer.
If a family cannot take part due to financial reasons, there are scholarship programs available to help families cover the cost.
