The Hidden Key to Urban Revitalization
He served two terms as Kansas City’s first African American mayor. He has a legacy of city restoration projects and has even had streets named after him. He spends much of his time these days advising the mayors of other cities on how to fix urban problems. Now, Emanuel Cleaver has chosen to serve on the Brush Creek Community Partners Board – because he thinks the organization is really making a difference in the urban core.
“ I think what can happen is limitless,” Cleaver says. He believes new housing and development has begun to turn the tide, and he expects the progress to continue over the next two years. “ I think we will have successfully pumped this entire area up to a level that people will want to be here, companies will want to be here, restaurants will want to be here. I think we could very well be the missing link, that Brush Creek Partners has all the elements needed for urban revitalization”
While Cleaver became a nationally-known figure during his two terms as Kansas City mayor, he always has been influenced by his early life. “I was born in a slave shanty in Waxahachie, Texas. I didn't’t live in a house with indoor plumbing or indoor electricity until I was seven. And then we moved into public housing. I celebrate really my roots because I think I can speak from experience about the brutality of racial exclusion and discrimination, but I can also speak about the joy of being an over-comer.”
Cleaver’s concern for social issues and the urban core has been present in everything he has done in his life. He has been Senior Pastor of St. James United Methodist Church for 25 years, where he has remained committed to his Kansas City congregation while other churches moved to the suburbs. The church recently underwent an $8 million renovation and is positioned to serve a growing congregation of 2000 members for the next decades. The church also operates the“40 Acres and a Mule Ministry and Missions Campus” near Swope Park. It includes sports facilities and special programs for children whose mothers are incarcerated for illegal drug activity.
Cleaver was elected to the City Council of Kansas City, Missouri in 1979. After twelve years on the council, Cleaver ran for mayor in 1991, and was reelected in 1995. His accomplishments included downtown job creation, an expanded Bartle Hall Convention Center, and the 18th and Vine Cultural Center. Cleaver also masterminded the Brush Creek Flood Control and Beautification Project and helped the Bruce R. Watkins Roadway become a reality. The former mayor served two terms as president of National Conference of Black Mayors and was named one of Ebony’s “100 Most Influential African Americans” for seven consecutive years.
Cleaver now describes himself as a “recovering politician,” but leaving office has not caused him to slow down. He travels frequently to talk to mayors and groups in other cities. Several years ago, Cleaver also became host of radio talk show, “Under the Clock,” on KCUR FM 89.3, Kansas City’s National Public Radio affiliate.
Although he is frequently been mentioned as a possible challenger to Mayor Kay Barnes’ re-election, Cleaver says he has no intention of running for mayor again. He also gets almost daily requests from national and local groups and boards would love to have Cleaver’s expertise and wisdom, but his time is limited. He agreed to serve on the Brush Creek Community Partners Board because it is committed to redevelopment of the Brush Creek Corridor.
“ This area is right on the very edge of becoming a great center for urban life and urban commerce,” Cleaver says, citing new housing around Rockhurst University, the new Gates restaurant on Brush Creek, and other development such as the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation headquarters, the Stowers Institute, Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Center and the new H&R Block call center.
“ The whole area is becoming gorgeous. And I don’t think people in Johnson County or the eastern part of Jackson County are even aware, they probably think this is some rundown area.”
Cleaver says he is excited to be part of an organization that will change that perception over the next few years. He sees Brush Creek Partners leading one of the most promising efforts to revitalize the central city.