COMMUNITY /WALKING TOWARDS EQUITY: REFLECTING ON THE TROOST EQUITY WALK

In May, members of the SLATTERY team showed up alongside Kansas City G.I.F.T. for the annual Troost Equity Walk. Representing our team were Brian Michener, AIA, LEED AP, and Jeremy Nelson who walked with community members, business owners, the mayor, and advocates committed to advancing equity across Kansas City. The walk was not only a show of solidarity. It was also about understanding, listening, and showing up—physically, mentally, and emotionally— for our clients and the missions we believe in to better understand how the spaces we move through every day are shaped by histories that still matter.

Founded in 2020, Kansas City G.I.F.T. (Generating Income for Tomorrow) works to build a more equitable future by supporting Black-owned businesses, addressing systemic barriers, and helping close the racial wealth gap. Their mission comes to life through efforts like the Troost Equity Walk and other events that bring people together to transform education and understanding into meaningful action. Showing up for this walk is a tangible show of support and a chance to grow as a member of this community.

Understanding The Meaning Behind Troost

Following opening remarks from KC G.I.F.T. co-founder Brandon Calloway, the tone of the day shifted in a way that stayed with participants long after the walk began. Chris Goode, founder and CEO of Ruby Jean’s Juicery and the first recipient of a KC G.I.F.T. grant, provided important historical context for the corridor. Troost Avenue, he acknowledged, is often discussed in terms of redlining and disinvestment, but its story runs deeper. The name “Troost,” harkens back to Dr. Benoist Troost, an early figure in Kansas City’s history who had six people enslaved at the time of the Emancipation Proclamation. That reality, Goode emphasized, is not separate from the present. For many Black residents and business owners, the street name—a prominent accolade honoring a known slave owner—remains a reminder of a violent and inequitable past, still embedded in the fabric of the city.

Running roughly 10.7 miles through Kansas City, Troost Avenue has long carried a weight that extends far beyond its physical footprint. Stretching from north to south, it has historically functioned as both a literal corridor and a symbolic boundary reflecting deep divisions of race and access. KC G.I.F.T. says that walking its length changes your perspective, “rais[ing] awareness of Black-owned businesses and ongoing development along Troost.” Instead of passing through in moments by car, participants move slowly—step by step, stop by stop. Jeremy particularly noted that “slowing down and gathering allows for connection and observation that we can’t find online or in the car.” That intentional pace reinforces a central idea of the day: showing up requires time and presence. It requires stepping out of passive routine and into an active community.

Conversations unfold naturally because of this. Along the route, designated stops highlight both history and present-day community life, offering opportunities to hear directly from the people shaping the corridor today. As Jeremy and Brian shared with our team, a question formed: what is the truth behind Troost? To understand that truth fully, it helps to look back.

The Legacy of Redlining and Disinvestment

Throughout the early and mid-20th century, Kansas City, like many American cities, was profoundly shaped by discriminatory housing systems. Practices such as racially restrictive covenants and redlining dictated where people could live and how wealth could be built. These weren’t isolated decisions; they were systemic, reinforced by both private developers and public policy. In Kansas City, restrictive covenants were deliberately used to prevent Black residents from living in certain neighborhoods, while federal redlining practices classified communities of color as high-risk, effectively cutting them off from investment and opportunity. Over time, this created a pattern of disinvestment that concentrated poverty and limited access to resources in specific areas—most of them east of Troost. Even after these policies were dismantled, their effects persisted. Disparities in homeownership, property value, and generational wealth continue to reflect those earlier systems, shaping the realities of neighborhoods today.

Supporting Black-Owned Businesses Along The Cooridor

Showing up to walk Troost with our client KC G.I.F.T. is a small but meaningful act that confronts the history as something still severely influential today. But the walk is not only about understanding the past; it is equally about experiencing the present.

“I was excited—and, frankly, proud—to take part in the 2nd annual KC G.I.F.T. Troost Equity Walk,” Brian shared. “This amazing event brought a broad cross section of people together to highlight and support Black-owned businesses that front onto Kansas City’s historic racial dividing line.”

Along the route, participants encountered a network of Black-owned businesses actively shaping the future of the corridor. Each stop offered something different. Some provided water, coffee, or cold drinks; others shared products and opened their doors, inviting people inside to engage more directly. Jeremy “was struck by the many people who walked or volunteered,” and the way businesses showed up to support each other demonstrated how they “are deeply invested in Kansas City as a community.”

At Ruby Jean’s Juicery, for example, fresh juice was handed out, creating a moment of connection and reflection. Those on the walk could engage with the story and mission behind the business—bringing healthier food options to residents around Troost and see firsthand the impact KC G.I.F.T. has on Black-owned businesses. These interactions brought immediacy to the experience. Business owners and staff became central voices in the story being told about Troost today.

“It was amazing to see walkers zigzagging across the street from businesses on one side to those on the other and back again,” Brian said. “It was such a powerful visual.” That movement—back and forth across Troost—captured something essential about the walk. It wasn’t just about staying on one side or observing Troost from a distance. It was about actively crossing divides, engaging with different perspectives, and showing up in ways that felt intentional and visible. These businesses shared what it means to operate along Troost today: the challenges, the opportunities, and the reasons they continue to invest in their communities. Their perspectives grounded the broader goals of KC G.I.F.T. in lived experience. Showing up for them became one of the most meaningful aspects of the day.

Lessons From The Built Environment

As the walk progressed, the physical environment began to tell its own story. Changes in infrastructure, development, and density unfolded mile by mile. Some areas reflected ongoing investment and growth, while others still bore the marks of long-term disinvestment. The contrasts weren’t subtle and reinforced the layered reality of Troost. For those in the design profession, these reflections carry particular weight. The built environment is never neutral. Decisions about where investment flows, how spaces are designed, and who is included in those processes all have lasting consequences. Showing up to spaces like Troost—walking them, experiencing them, listening to the people who live and work there—creates a deeper understanding of how those decisions play out in real life.

Equity in Action: Connecting Communities

Participating in the Troost Equity Walk offered a chance to both observe and listen. Experiences like this challenge us to think more critically about how design can either reinforce inequities or contribute to meaningful progress. The walk, according to KC G.I.F.T., is “equity in action,” asking participants to engage deeply with conversations surrounding racial inequality, urban planning, and how to support local economies.

Showing Up Matters

For Brian, one moment stood out as he reflected on the day: “On that morning, the corridor that has so strongly divided the city and its people became a seam that Kansas Citians were stitching back together.” That idea of a seam, a place where connection is possible, speaks directly to what it means to show up and participate in support of our clients.

For both Brian and Jeremy, the Troost Equity Walk was an opportunity to engage more thoughtfully with our client, Kansas City as a whole, and the communities that shape it. It was a reminder that progress happens through connection, through listening, and through a willingness to confront difficult realities. Jeremy “encourage[s] anyone interested to take the time to walk with G.I.F.T. next year.” Showing up matters. Whether it’s walking 10.7 miles, supporting local businesses, or simply taking the time to listen to stories that might otherwise go unheard, each action contributes to a larger effort to build equity and connection across the city.

Walking Forward Together

SLATTERY is proud to support Kansas City G.I.F.T. and the work they are doing to strengthen opportunity across Kansas City. Reflecting on the Troost Equity Walk with Brian and Jeremy underscores a simple but powerful truth: the path forward becomes clearer when we choose to show up—and to walk it together.