KANSAS CITY, Mo — There was a celebration of a life well lived on Sunday afternoon in Kansas City, Missouri.
Friends and family met downtown, for the 89th birthday of Alvin Brooks.
“The best is yet to come. I realize there is not as much road ahead of me as behind me, but you make the most out of each day that you have,” Brooks said.
Brooks is a former Kansas City police officer, councilman and mayor pro term.
He founded the AdHoc Group Against Crime, dedicating much of his life to civil rights movements, violence prevention and criminal justice advocacy.
He says Kansas City has come a long way tackling these issues, but there is more to be done.
"We can’t arrest our way out of this, we can’t jail our way out of this, so it means we’ve got to be able to do things at the grassroots level," Brooks said. "Beginning with families, and communities, relationships, making sure that we have an educated population making sure our schools are improved. The only way to reduce crime and violence in my opinion, as a sociologist, is through reducing poverty."
Brooks was named the Kansas Citian of the Year in 2019. Following years of dedication to the area, he was awarded the Harry S. Truman Award for public service.
