Kansas City, city of... accordions?

Kansas City Today

Kansas City has long been associated with barbeque, fountains and jazz music — but accordions? Meet the 90-year-old woman who is keeping the city's rich legacy alive. Plus: Kansas City journalist Ebony Reed takes an "immersive" dive into the nation's racial wealth gap in her new book.

Kansas City has a rich accordion history thanks to one nonagenarian icon who is still conducting, teaching and playing. Classical KC’s Christy L’Esperance spoke with JoAnne Cochran Sommers about turning Kansas City into an "accordion town."

Ebony Reed’s new book, “Fifteen Cents on the Dollar,” brings years of research about the racial wealth gap to life. In it, the Kansas City journalist and her co-author, Louise Story, hit the road to chronicle the lives of seven Black Americans. Reed spoke with Kansas City Public Library’s Laura Spencer about the reporting and the important distinction she draws between “wealth” and “income.”

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Kansas City Today is hosted today by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Madeline Fox, Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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