Teachers.io

To those unfamiliar with Kansas City, Troost Avenue may not seem different from other thoroughfares in the urban core, but it has taken on a metaphorical significance. Dubbed “the Troost wall,” it represents the legacy of years of institutionalized discrimination in business and politics and misguided social perceptions. On the attached Racial Dot Map, from the 2010 census, Troost Avenue is the most easily identifiable street...a line of racial demarcation. Building the Troost Wall took years of premeditated discrimination. Tearing it down will take twice as much conscious effort. The best way to address the problem is to tackle the monster that created it: prejudice. Change doesn’t happen on its own. Until we can toss the “–isms” and divisions out the window, the Troost wall will stand tall and mighty. The first step is to raise awareness of the forces that created the Troost divide and make fixing it a priority. Assignment: Read the excerpt from Tanner Colby's "Some of My Best Friends are Black" and watch the short clip from NBC Nightly News on Troost's Revitalization.