KC Defender invests in Black-owned bookstore’s legacy, keeping its story alive as media startup’s new HQ

By Tommy Felts | July 15, 2025

Missouri’s oldest-operating Black-owned bookstore is set to evolve into a public archive, programming venue, and the new headquarters for The Kansas City Defender — a bittersweet turn of the page for a space marked by resilience and community action, organizers said. Willa’s Books and Vinyl, 5547 Troost Ave., has long stood as a sanctuary of Black…

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Rally unifies voices amid attacks on immigrants, LGBT+ rights; now it’s time to make noise, organizers say

By Tommy Felts | February 25, 2025

As anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies seeking to dismantle DEI efforts ramp up, Danny Soriano has seen inquiries and communication to his digital media business noticeably slow down, the Latino entrepreneur said. “Clients [suddenly seem] deterred from going with me — as opposed to somebody who’s not of color or white,” explained Soriano, the founder of…

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