Where We Began
Race Project KC was born from a conversation sparked by Tanner Colby's visit to the Johnson County Library to talk about his book Some of My Best Friends Are Black. Kansas Citians wanted deeper clarity about the history of redlining and racial covenants that shaped this city. Young people needed space to explore race, location, and history within their own community. So in 2015, the Johnson County Library and local educators built that space.
From the start, it was never one person's work. Educators at multiple high schools and universities brought it into classrooms. Principals provided institutional support. Parents advocated to make student participation possible. High school students propelled it forward across the region. Community champions opened doors. The Library provided the platform and framework to bring everyone together. That collective force is what made Race Project KC what it became, and what it carries forward today.
From the start, it was never one person's work. Educators at multiple high schools and universities brought it into classrooms. Principals provided institutional support. Parents advocated to make student participation possible. High school students propelled it forward across the region. Community champions opened doors. The Library provided the platform and framework to bring everyone together. That collective force is what made Race Project KC what it became, and what it carries forward today.
A Decade of Growth
What started as an annual social justice initiative grew into something with real reach: student workshops and symposiums, educator summits, community conversations, the Dividing Lines Tour, and partnerships across Kansas City. Over a decade, more than 2,000 students, educators, and community members engaged with the work. Twenty-three schools across seven districts. Ten years of showing what happens when you put people from different sides of Kansas City's dividing lines in the same room.
The work kept growing. And eventually, it grew bigger than any single program inside a library could hold.
The work kept growing. And eventually, it grew bigger than any single program inside a library could hold.
See the work for yourself. Check out this video from our Race Project KC student symposium in April 2019.
The Evolution
Raise Up KC is what we built around that growth. Race Project KC isn't going anywhere, it remains the anchor program and the foundation on which everything else stands. Raise Up KC is the independent nonprofit we built around it, bringing three programs under one umbrella for the first time:
- Race Project KC: High school students and educators exploring race, history, and location
- Rise Up Leaders: A civic pipeline that carries students from their senior year into life beyond high school
- Raise Up Community: Public engagement for all Kansas City community members
What Stays The Same, What Changes?
Stays the same:
- Our mission
- Race Project KC as a program
- Johnson County Library is still a partner
- The schools we serve
- Legal structure: Independent nonprofit
- Umbrella brand: Raise Up KC and new URL: RaiseUpKC.org
- Three programs under one roof
- Board governance
Frequently Asked Questions
Why now?
After more than a decade of growth, the work has outgrown what a single high school program at a library can hold. We've been quietly working toward this for a while.
What happens to Race Project KC?
Race Project KC isn't going anywhere. Same work and same name. It stands as the anchor program inside Raise Up KC, alongside two new programs: Rise Up Leaders and Raise Up Community. If you've known us as Race Project KC, that name and that work continue. The umbrella organization is now Raise Up KC.
Will this affect existing partnerships?
Existing partnerships continue. The new structure makes it easier to deepen and expand them. We'll be reaching out to each partner directly.
Why "Raise Up KC"?
The name carries our call to action: raise your hand, raise up your community, raise up the conversations Kansas City needs. The three hands in our logo represent the evolution from one program to three.
After more than a decade of growth, the work has outgrown what a single high school program at a library can hold. We've been quietly working toward this for a while.
What happens to Race Project KC?
Race Project KC isn't going anywhere. Same work and same name. It stands as the anchor program inside Raise Up KC, alongside two new programs: Rise Up Leaders and Raise Up Community. If you've known us as Race Project KC, that name and that work continue. The umbrella organization is now Raise Up KC.
Will this affect existing partnerships?
Existing partnerships continue. The new structure makes it easier to deepen and expand them. We'll be reaching out to each partner directly.
Why "Raise Up KC"?
The name carries our call to action: raise your hand, raise up your community, raise up the conversations Kansas City needs. The three hands in our logo represent the evolution from one program to three.
