49-63 Neighborhood Coalition Records (KC0061)

The Coalition held its first formal meeting on February 3, 1971, after several informal gatherings of area residents to discuss the most appropriate means of maintaining the multiracial population of their neighborhood. Its boundaries were set as 49th Street on the north, 63rd Street on the south, The Paseo on the east, and Oak Street on the west. The area encompasses both the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Rockhurst College, as well as both public and private elementary schools. They decided to keep the organization flexible and unstructured, utilizing volunteers and having no paid director. Membership was open to all residents, and owners and managers of businesses within the area. It grew rapidly to encompass many elements of neighborhood life, including liaison work with the police, a "Lights On" campaign to increase neighborhood safety, the notification of infractions of housing codes, and the establishment of a housing referral office.

The records include the minutes and reports of the Coalition's board of directors and its various committees; information on the Kansas City, Missouri, School system and Kansas City's school desegregation case; and background data and reports on housing and related topics. 1971-1997.

20 cubic feet.

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updated: Monday, February 07, 2011
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