KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Through song and poetry, African American residents with a connection to the Steptoe Neighborhood paid tribute to a once-thriving neighborhood on Sunday.
The gathering in conjunction with Father's Day ahead of Juneteenth was to commemorate one of the neighborhood's oldest living fathers, Larnell Johnson.
"The Steptoe neighborhood was one of the first African American neighborhoods," said Leah Suttington, who grew up in the neighborhood. "It was one of the first places that that happened in Kansas City."
The neighborhood sits just east of Westport near St.Luke's Hospital.
Suttington's roots in the Steptoe Neighborhood date back to 1895. Her grandfather built a few homes in the area that have since been built over.
Much of St. Luke's Hospital campus now sits in place of the neighborhood.
"All the houses are gone. It's just us," added Suttington.
St. James Missionary Baptist Church and an adjacent home are the only buildings that remain of the old neighborhood.
There are still remnants in the area, including a Steptoe Street sign, rock walls and stairs, some leading up to empty lots.
"The community was really a family place. We were very close to the, you know, few hundreds of people that lived there," added Suttington. "There were high expectations of the children, great families, fathers in the homes. It was just a lovely place to be and to grow up."
Sunday evening was a chance to connect with other original neighborhood members and others interested in learning about the storied past.
The history lesson also included African American slaves role in building the community.
Additionally, there was education on the region's role in the beginning of the Civil War and what prominent community members were raised in the area.
"We want to honor the memory of so many of the people that struggled to acquire things, to have homes, to be present in this neighborhood," added Suttington. "Excellence was the focus... We're very proud of what happened here. We're really proud of the ancestry and the people who lived here and have close connections, helping each other with the high expectations. We want to remember those people who made that possible for us."
For more information on the Steptoe Neighborhood, click here.
