Breaking the Norms of Land Ownership in a Segregated City

This piece emerged from real conversations with Black land stewards, neighborhood leaders, and families shut out of Kansas City’s housing market. It challenges the idea that traditional land ownership is the only or best path to stability, especially in historically redlined communities. I wrote it to uplift alternative models — community-held, intergenerational, creative — that reclaim space without replicating harm. It speaks to those exploring collective care, land access, and justice beyond whitewashed rules. It’s also a glimpse into how my work supports those building equity through unconventional but deeply rooted ways.