The Forum

Steve Nicely is with the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Greater KC and a retired KC Star journalist.  Sarah Crews is the founder of Heart Land Prairie Cemetery in Central Kansas. The state’s first prairie restoration natural cemetery is on land donated to the project by The Land Institute in Salina.  They will discuss the advantages and availability of a natural, “green” […]

Henry Stoever and Cris Mann of PeaceWorks-KC describe their work for nuclear disarmament through civil disobedience and lobbying Congress, and talk of other strategies, including supporting the Cities Appeal of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and divesting from companies making and maintaining nuclear weapons.

With the rapid spread of disinformation endangering public health and polarizing politics, communities desperately need trustworthy local news. Years of runaway media consolidation and ad-driven clickbait have destroyed newsrooms and left major issues uncovered. Craig Aaron, co-CEO of Free Press, will discuss how to reverse these trends, rebuild local media with innovative policies, and reimagine...

Former State Senator Kiki Curls unpacks the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure package recently signed into law by President Biden and discusses its potential effect on Missouri.

Continuing an annual tradition, the Forum welcomes Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas to share an address on the State of the City.

Kansas City Star reporters Eric Adler, Kevin Hardy and Mike Hendricks discuss a month long investigation into how a neglected section of the city has become a hunting ground for real estate speculators and why many Black residents feel they are once again being exploited and left behind.

In a time of changing enrollment and financial challenges, the Kansas City Public Schools is engaging the community in shaping the future of our city’s schools. District leaders will discuss “Blueprint 2030” and the mission to give all children a quality educational experience, preparing them for college, career and life.

Attorneys Craig Lubow and David Bell analyze the impacts of recent court events, including cases involving Kyle Rittenhouse in Wisconsin, Officer Derek Chauvin in Minnesota, Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, and Cameron Lamb and Kevin Strickland in Kansas City as well as major Supreme Court decisions.

After Charlottesville, after the Jan. 6 riot on the Capitol, and as militias grow geometrically, Leonard Zeskind explores strategies for turning back the ominous tide. He is an author and activist who has spent more than 40 years on the front lines in the battle against white supremacists.

  Women’s reproductive rights are under attack like never before. Attorney Bob Eye, a long time advocate for Women’s rights, will give us an update on the various threats working their way to the US Supreme Court and also on the upcoming referendum in Kansas.

  Cheryl Kimmi, the outgoing executive director of the Kansas City Fringe Festival, will host a lively discussion about the arts and its effect on the community.. The Fringe Festival gives new artists with a way to get their material before the public. It offers live theater of all types that push the envelope of […]

  UMKC’s Professor Dr. Loyce Caruthers and Institute for Urban Education Associate Director Dr. Brad Poos retrace the history of Critical Race Theory, examining its intent to reshape America’s understanding of itself and the mischaracterizations that torment it today.

Stacey Johnson-Cosby, Realtor with ReeceNichols and President of the Kansas City Regional Housing Alliance will discuss the economic shutdown and how it negatively impacted private property rights across the country, and she’ll share her housing industry perspective on support for property owners and tenants in the precarious times ahead.

Pulitzer Prize winning author, Heather Ann Thompson, will be speaking about her book, Blood in the Water, on the Attica prison uprising of the 1970s. Thompson will address the history of the uprising, its subsequent cover up, its historical importance, and implications for prison reform and other current issues.

Retired public health executive and activist Jim Nunnelly stands in the breach of Kansas City’s public health crisis, rallying communities to solutions in the fight against the pandemic, diabetes, heart disease and other killers that hit hardest on minorities and the poor.

Dr. Richard Randolph, MD is the Senior Chief Medical Officer for Heart to Heart International.  He has treated many zoonotic infectious diseases including COVID 19, Ebola, Zika, Cholera, Malaria, and Chikungunya. Dr. Randolph holds a Certificate in Public Health in the Developing World. He will explain how harming the environment creates epidemics and how Climate […]

Zack Pistora is the state lobbyist for the Kansas Sierra Club and Interim Executive Director of the Kansas Rural Center. He will cover the challenges Kansas faces in regards to the state’s water supply and water quality – from decreasing aquifers to toxic algae blooms – as outlined in the latest update of the State […]

Jason Miles, an activist with Reaching Out From Within, talks about prison reform in Kansas and turning back mass incarceration from the inside through the non-profit’s work empowering prisoners through mentorships that help them gain career skills and economic opportunities.

Counselor Lynn Barnett, a gender specialist, explores the challenges and issues ahead for the trans+ and non-binary community, speaking from her close personal experiences with members of the community and their families.

  NOTE: Due to a technical issue, this program was not broadcast on 10-14-21; however, the replay here is the intended program. Nomachot Adiang, an organizer for Missouri Health Care for All, recounts the ongoing struggle for Medicaid expansion — from the successful statewide campaign and citizen pressure to overcome long odds, to the challenge […]

Bryce Reeder, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Missouri-Columbia, takes a close look at how climate change is already straining our world, the increasing peril in climate forecasts, and whether or not the Paris Climate Agreement can turn the ominous tide.

George Guastello, Union Station president & CEO shares important perspective regarding this historic exhibition gathering more than a thousand original objects and photographs from around the world in an unparalleled opportunity to confront the singular face of human evil. Hear behind-the-scenes details of the five-year collaboration to bring the exhibit currently on display at Union […]

In this rebroadcast of PEACE TALKS RADIO, we consider a 2020 film documentary made in response to the times we are living in. “The Antidote” is a feature documentary that weaves together stories of kindness, decency, and the power of community in America. It’s about everyday people who make the intentional choice to lift others […]

The ACLU reports that over 360 voter restriction bills are being proposed by legislatures in 47 states across the country. This wave of action by GOP legislators follows in the wake of false claims by former President Trump that the 2020 election was stolen. The sponsors of the bills say the laws are about election […]

Several states have passed legislation barring teaching critical race theory in public schools. Today we explore critical race theory and how race is taught. How should academics proceed in light of the political backlash to teaching about race? Featured Speakers: Utz McKnight, Professor of Political Science, Chair of Department of Gender and Race Studies, University […]