The Kansas City Defender
@kcdefender.bsky.social
Black News, Politics, Arts & Culture.
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‘Children Of The KKK’ Stage A Test Run In Kansas City – The Kansas City Defender
Kansas City’s brief invasion by white supremacist fascist group, Patriot Front, made two things clear: Missouri is a central theater for 21st-century neo-Nazism, and our state also houses a growing co...
kansascitydefender.com
Kansas City’s brief invasion by white supremacist fascist group, Patriot Front, made two things clear: Missouri is a central theater for 21st-century neo-Nazism, and our state also houses a growing coalition determined to stop it.
kansascitydefender.com/justice/fasc...
kansascitydefender.com/justice/fasc...
Reposted by The Kansas City Defender
Thank you to @sixtyinchesfromcenter.org for giving this piece a home.
I really admire Ryan Sorrell and the @kcdefender.bsky.social— they move in alignment with a deep radical lineage and political values while also producing impactful work.
Grateful for this conversation and more to come.
I really admire Ryan Sorrell and the @kcdefender.bsky.social— they move in alignment with a deep radical lineage and political values while also producing impactful work.
Grateful for this conversation and more to come.
Third Spaces for the Struggle: On Build, Miss Willa’s, and the Work of Belonging - Sixty Inches From Center
A conversation between one of the new co-owners of Build Coffee & Books in Chicago, and Ryan Sorrell at The Kansas City Defender as they save and revive Missouri's oldest Black bookstore, Miss Willa's...
sixtyinchesfromcenter.org
January 5, 2026 at 12:41 PM
Thank you to @sixtyinchesfromcenter.org for giving this piece a home.
I really admire Ryan Sorrell and the @kcdefender.bsky.social— they move in alignment with a deep radical lineage and political values while also producing impactful work.
Grateful for this conversation and more to come.
I really admire Ryan Sorrell and the @kcdefender.bsky.social— they move in alignment with a deep radical lineage and political values while also producing impactful work.
Grateful for this conversation and more to come.
Reposted by The Kansas City Defender
support nonprofit Black community news in the Midwest!
the KC Defender recently published a hell of a story about Kansas City nightlife establishment getting hit with RICO charges for conspiring to shut out Black business owners
give it a read and give em a few bucks!
the KC Defender recently published a hell of a story about Kansas City nightlife establishment getting hit with RICO charges for conspiring to shut out Black business owners
give it a read and give em a few bucks!
December 8, 2025 at 6:55 PM
support nonprofit Black community news in the Midwest!
the KC Defender recently published a hell of a story about Kansas City nightlife establishment getting hit with RICO charges for conspiring to shut out Black business owners
give it a read and give em a few bucks!
the KC Defender recently published a hell of a story about Kansas City nightlife establishment getting hit with RICO charges for conspiring to shut out Black business owners
give it a read and give em a few bucks!
Thank you! This is our donation page, its also currently NewsMatch season so all donations are doubled. We appreciate you greatly friend!
kansascitydefender.com/support-us/
kansascitydefender.com/support-us/
Support The The Kansas City Defender
We depend on reader support to amplify the Black experience and maintain our platform. Support The Kansas City Defender.
kansascitydefender.com
December 8, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Thank you! This is our donation page, its also currently NewsMatch season so all donations are doubled. We appreciate you greatly friend!
kansascitydefender.com/support-us/
kansascitydefender.com/support-us/
Reposted by The Kansas City Defender
This is why I pay for the @kcdefender.bsky.social even though I don't live in KS anymore. Investigative journalism costs $$ and they do a great job
December 5, 2025 at 7:27 PM
This is why I pay for the @kcdefender.bsky.social even though I don't live in KS anymore. Investigative journalism costs $$ and they do a great job
Reposted by The Kansas City Defender
Every corner of this country deserves to have a journalistic resource and community asset like the @kcdefender.bsky.social - I hope their model gets taken up everywhere (PS - thanks for saving and stewarding the space of Willa's Books and Vinyl!)
December 5, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Every corner of this country deserves to have a journalistic resource and community asset like the @kcdefender.bsky.social - I hope their model gets taken up everywhere (PS - thanks for saving and stewarding the space of Willa's Books and Vinyl!)
Thank you Lissa! We have actually been writing these kinds of stories since our inception and ironically enough, it has actually enabled us to secure nonprofit funding through community support and philanthropy haha. We are certainly lucky we are not ad-supported.
December 8, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Thank you Lissa! We have actually been writing these kinds of stories since our inception and ironically enough, it has actually enabled us to secure nonprofit funding through community support and philanthropy haha. We are certainly lucky we are not ad-supported.
THANK YOU Kate! we appreciate it greatly.
December 8, 2025 at 6:45 PM
THANK YOU Kate! we appreciate it greatly.
Thank you so much!! ❤️❤️
December 8, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Thank you so much!! ❤️❤️
Reposted by The Kansas City Defender
At 84 years old, Willa Robinson is retiring and closing Willa’s Books and Vinyl, the store where she’s spent years selling works by Black artists. She’s placing the beloved space in the hands of @kcdefender.bsky.social, which will preserve her vast archive.
Collecting Black authors' books is Willa Robinson's 'thing.' A new generation preserves her legacy
At 84 years old, Willa Robinson is retiring and closing Willa’s Books and Vinyl, the store where she’s spent years selling works by Black artists. She’s placing the beloved space in the hands of The Kansas City Defender, which will preserve her vast archive.
www.kcur.org
September 21, 2025 at 6:27 PM
At 84 years old, Willa Robinson is retiring and closing Willa’s Books and Vinyl, the store where she’s spent years selling works by Black artists. She’s placing the beloved space in the hands of @kcdefender.bsky.social, which will preserve her vast archive.
Thank you so much friends!! ♥️ It is an honor to be finalists alongside you all and the absolutely incredible, urgent work you continue to lead in.
September 11, 2025 at 2:33 AM
Thank you so much friends!! ♥️ It is an honor to be finalists alongside you all and the absolutely incredible, urgent work you continue to lead in.
Reposted by The Kansas City Defender
Congratulations to our colleagues at @kcdefender.bsky.social for winning the 2025 @inn.org Community Champion Award! Read about their groundbreaking B-REAL Freedom School here.
Community Champion Award
Honors an INN member organization that made a significant contribution to the well-being of its community through a journalism-centered project or
inn.org
September 11, 2025 at 2:04 AM
Congratulations to our colleagues at @kcdefender.bsky.social for winning the 2025 @inn.org Community Champion Award! Read about their groundbreaking B-REAL Freedom School here.
Reposted by The Kansas City Defender
The Small Division winner of the Community Champion Award is “BREAL Academy: Black Radical Education for Abolition and Liberation” from @kcdefender.bsky.social.
September 11, 2025 at 1:38 AM
The Small Division winner of the Community Champion Award is “BREAL Academy: Black Radical Education for Abolition and Liberation” from @kcdefender.bsky.social.
Reposted by The Kansas City Defender
Movement media is a key tool to fight fascism.
In the @truthout.org Center for Grassroots Journalism newsletter, see the latest from @wagingnonviolence.org @hammerandhope.bsky.social @convergencemag.com @kcdefender.bsky.social @deceleration.news & more! ❤️
mailchi.mp/truthout.org...
In the @truthout.org Center for Grassroots Journalism newsletter, see the latest from @wagingnonviolence.org @hammerandhope.bsky.social @convergencemag.com @kcdefender.bsky.social @deceleration.news & more! ❤️
mailchi.mp/truthout.org...
Grassroots journalism organizations are a tool against fascism -- and their voices are growing
mailchi.mp
September 5, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Movement media is a key tool to fight fascism.
In the @truthout.org Center for Grassroots Journalism newsletter, see the latest from @wagingnonviolence.org @hammerandhope.bsky.social @convergencemag.com @kcdefender.bsky.social @deceleration.news & more! ❤️
mailchi.mp/truthout.org...
In the @truthout.org Center for Grassroots Journalism newsletter, see the latest from @wagingnonviolence.org @hammerandhope.bsky.social @convergencemag.com @kcdefender.bsky.social @deceleration.news & more! ❤️
mailchi.mp/truthout.org...
Reposted by The Kansas City Defender
The original video: youtu.be/BhQjYxBcqxw
The creator, @kcdefender.bsky.social , deserves way more views and subscriptions.
As said in this video, this is the future of the United States.
The creator, @kcdefender.bsky.social , deserves way more views and subscriptions.
As said in this video, this is the future of the United States.
St. Louis Tornado CLIMATE WARZONE and The People Fighting Back
YouTube video by The Kansas City Defender
youtu.be
August 31, 2025 at 9:17 PM
The original video: youtu.be/BhQjYxBcqxw
The creator, @kcdefender.bsky.social , deserves way more views and subscriptions.
As said in this video, this is the future of the United States.
The creator, @kcdefender.bsky.social , deserves way more views and subscriptions.
As said in this video, this is the future of the United States.
Reposted by The Kansas City Defender
Ever had that "make it make sense?!" feeling when you're reading the news? Yeah. Me too. Conceiving of journalism as political education -- as the @kcdefender.bsky.social does so well -- is one solution and way forward. @objectivejournos.bsky.social objectivejournalism.org/2025/08/make...
Make it make sense: movement media as political education
Even when our stories herald bad news, they can also help people make meaning and figure out our role in responding.
objectivejournalism.org
August 29, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Ever had that "make it make sense?!" feeling when you're reading the news? Yeah. Me too. Conceiving of journalism as political education -- as the @kcdefender.bsky.social does so well -- is one solution and way forward. @objectivejournos.bsky.social objectivejournalism.org/2025/08/make...
North St. Louis is in the middle of a climate warzone. A tornado wiped out 5,000+ homes. Black residents are relying on mutual aid to survive. We went to document climate collapse, ICE kidnappings, and the people fighting back in a city that once sparked a global revolution.
youtu.be/BhQjYxBcqxw
youtu.be/BhQjYxBcqxw
The Tornado That Could Destroy St. Louis’ Black Community
YouTube video by The Kansas City Defender
youtu.be
August 14, 2025 at 7:44 PM
North St. Louis is in the middle of a climate warzone. A tornado wiped out 5,000+ homes. Black residents are relying on mutual aid to survive. We went to document climate collapse, ICE kidnappings, and the people fighting back in a city that once sparked a global revolution.
youtu.be/BhQjYxBcqxw
youtu.be/BhQjYxBcqxw
Reposted by The Kansas City Defender
A beloved bookstore about to close; a determined volunteer; a local news nonprofit that got creative.
Got to write about a Kansas City icon named Willa Robinson and what @kcdefender.bsky.social is doing to preserve her remarkable book collection and legacy.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/miss...
Got to write about a Kansas City icon named Willa Robinson and what @kcdefender.bsky.social is doing to preserve her remarkable book collection and legacy.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/miss...
Missouri’s oldest Black bookstore just closed. The Kansas City Defender plans to reopen it as a newsroom and public archive.
“The thought of losing that history, particularly in this political moment, was devastating.”
www.niemanlab.org
July 31, 2025 at 8:20 PM
A beloved bookstore about to close; a determined volunteer; a local news nonprofit that got creative.
Got to write about a Kansas City icon named Willa Robinson and what @kcdefender.bsky.social is doing to preserve her remarkable book collection and legacy.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/miss...
Got to write about a Kansas City icon named Willa Robinson and what @kcdefender.bsky.social is doing to preserve her remarkable book collection and legacy.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/miss...
Reposted by The Kansas City Defender
Exciting developments at the @kcdefender.bsky.social, providing a other example of the importance of grassroots Black Press organising
www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/miss...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/miss...
Missouri’s oldest Black bookstore just closed. The Kansas City Defender plans to reopen it as a newsroom and public archive.
“The thought of losing that history, particularly in this political moment, was devastating.”
www.niemanlab.org
July 31, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Exciting developments at the @kcdefender.bsky.social, providing a other example of the importance of grassroots Black Press organising
www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/miss...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/miss...
Reposted by The Kansas City Defender
absolutely loved this piece about @kcdefender.bsky.social and a bookstore called Willa's by @speppered.bsky.social www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/miss...
Missouri’s oldest Black bookstore just closed. The Kansas City Defender plans to reopen it as a newsroom and public archive.
“The thought of losing that history, particularly in this political moment, was devastating.”
www.niemanlab.org
July 31, 2025 at 2:34 PM
absolutely loved this piece about @kcdefender.bsky.social and a bookstore called Willa's by @speppered.bsky.social www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/miss...
Reposted by The Kansas City Defender
The @kcdefender.bsky.social is fundraising to purchase the collection and turn it into a public archive, making “Miss Willa’s” bookstore space into its first-ever public headquarters.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/miss...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/miss...
Missouri’s oldest Black bookstore just closed. The Kansas City Defender plans to reopen it as a newsroom and public archive.
“The thought of losing that history, particularly in this political moment, was devastating.”
www.niemanlab.org
July 31, 2025 at 2:27 PM
The @kcdefender.bsky.social is fundraising to purchase the collection and turn it into a public archive, making “Miss Willa’s” bookstore space into its first-ever public headquarters.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/miss...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/miss...
Reposted by The Kansas City Defender
How do you reach young audiences that traditional media misses?
In our latest Q&A, @kcdefender.bsky.social founder Ryan Sorrell explains how "grocery buyouts" built trust with Gen Z audiences.
In our latest Q&A, @kcdefender.bsky.social founder Ryan Sorrell explains how "grocery buyouts" built trust with Gen Z audiences.
Truly engaging community: A Q&A with Kansas City Defender - INN News
Ken Ward of Mountain State Spotlight talked with INN about how his small team conducted election surveys across the state.
news.inn.org
June 20, 2025 at 4:05 PM
How do you reach young audiences that traditional media misses?
In our latest Q&A, @kcdefender.bsky.social founder Ryan Sorrell explains how "grocery buyouts" built trust with Gen Z audiences.
In our latest Q&A, @kcdefender.bsky.social founder Ryan Sorrell explains how "grocery buyouts" built trust with Gen Z audiences.
Reposted by The Kansas City Defender
Missouri is home to a growing coalition of people determined to stop the encroachment of white supremacist groups on their communities (via our partner @kcdefender.bsky.social). kansascitydefender.com/justice/fasc...
‘Children Of The KKK’ Stage A Test Run In Kansas City – The Kansas City Defender
Kansas City’s brief invasion by white supremacist fascist group, Patriot Front, made two things clear: Missouri is a central theater for 21st-century neo-Nazism, and our state also houses a growing co...
kansascitydefender.com
May 27, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Missouri is home to a growing coalition of people determined to stop the encroachment of white supremacist groups on their communities (via our partner @kcdefender.bsky.social). kansascitydefender.com/justice/fasc...
In our own reporting, various sources we’ve spoken to who are active in the organizing community (who will remain anonymous for reasons of safety), say that organizers were “surprised but un-intimidated by the college republican cosplay.”
May 26, 2025 at 5:52 PM
In our own reporting, various sources we’ve spoken to who are active in the organizing community (who will remain anonymous for reasons of safety), say that organizers were “surprised but un-intimidated by the college republican cosplay.”
In an interview with Bret Hamilton who traveled to the scene after hearing of the arrival of the fascist group, he told The Defender that “a community response had already developed when they got close to downtown,” and that “Kansas City community members were shouting for the fascists to leave.”
May 26, 2025 at 5:52 PM
In an interview with Bret Hamilton who traveled to the scene after hearing of the arrival of the fascist group, he told The Defender that “a community response had already developed when they got close to downtown,” and that “Kansas City community members were shouting for the fascists to leave.”
Patriot Front members have openly celebrated acts of white supremacist terror, including the mass killing of 22 people in El Paso, Texas in 2019.
Their chat logs framed the massacre as a form of “defense” against demographic change, reinforcing their commitment to the “Great Replacement” theory.
Their chat logs framed the massacre as a form of “defense” against demographic change, reinforcing their commitment to the “Great Replacement” theory.
May 26, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Patriot Front members have openly celebrated acts of white supremacist terror, including the mass killing of 22 people in El Paso, Texas in 2019.
Their chat logs framed the massacre as a form of “defense” against demographic change, reinforcing their commitment to the “Great Replacement” theory.
Their chat logs framed the massacre as a form of “defense” against demographic change, reinforcing their commitment to the “Great Replacement” theory.