Freedom Inc. celebrates 60 years of political activism

CODY: AN INFLUENTIAL GROUP IN KANSAS CITY POLITICS CELEBRATES A MILESTONE THIS YEAR. >> THIS IS TRULY DEMOCRACY THAT PAYS OFF, BECAUSE A VOTE IS THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON WE HAVE IN A FREE SOCIETY. CODY: THAT IS PROMINENT POLITICAL ACTIVIST AND COMMUNITY LEADER BRUCE R WATKINS, THE FIRST BLACK PERSON ELECTED TO THE MISSOURI CITY COUNCIL. IN 1962, HE HELPED FOUND FREEDOM INC., A POLITICAL ORGANIZATION KEEPING THE NEEDS OF KANSAS BLACK COMMUNITY TOP OF MIND. FOR YEARS, THEY HAVE WORKED TO BOOST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, IMPACT PUBLIC POLICY IN OUR AREA, AND EDUCATE AND REGISTER VOTERS AHEAD OF ELECTIONS. KEN BACCHUS JOINS US HERE ON “HEART OF THE MATTER.” CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ANNIVERSARY. MR. BACCHUS: THANK YOU. WE ARE CELEBRATE BY MOVING FORWARD AT THE SAME TIME. CODY: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU THAT FREEDOM INC. HAS BEEN AROUND AND HAS BEEN DOING WORK FOR 60 YEARS? MR. BACCHUS: I AM CERTAIN IN THE BEGINNING, THEY WOULD HAVE LIKED FOR IT TO BE A SHORT-TERM OPERATION, BUT THE ISSUES CONTINUE TO COME UP, THE MATTER OF INJUSTICES, THE ABILITY TO ELECT PEOPLE, TO REPRESENT THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE SERVE, SO THAT ISSUE CONTINUES. NOW IT IS MORE OF A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT, WITH MANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE THE SAME AND SIMILAR INTERESTS, ELECTING GOOD-QUALITY PEOPLE WHO WOULD DO THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR CITIES. CODY: YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT, THAT THE WORK HAS NOT STOPPED IN 60 YEARS. THERE’S PROGRESS, SETBACKS. WHAT IS THE MISSION MOVING FORWARD? MR. BACCHUS: WELL, IT IS ALL ABOUT THE ISSUES, THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE. WE CONSTANTLY HAVE CONTACT WITHIN A GROUP OF INVOLVED PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. THEY TELL US WHAT IS GOING ON, WHAT THE NEEDS ARE. WE WORK WITH ALL ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, AND WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR. THERE ARE ISSUES THAT ALWAYS NEED SOME KIND OF ATTENTION, AND WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS BRING SOME DIRECT INFORMATION INTO THE COMMUNITY, BE THE RESEARCH, TALK TO ALL OF THE INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND MAKE A POSITION STATEMENT THAT WE THINK BEST REPRESENTS THE COMMON INTEREST OF THE INVOLVED COMMUNITIES. CODY: WE HAVE JUST A HANDFUL OF WEEKS OUT FROM A BIG MIDTERM ELECTION, ONE OF THE BIGGEST IN A WHILE, THAT WE CAN REMEMBER YOU TALK ABOUT ISSUES. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST ISSUES OUT IN THE COMMUNITY THAT PEOPLE ARE BRINGING TO YOU? WHAT IS KEEPING THEM UP AT NINE? I HAVE TO IMAGINE ECONOMY, INFLATION. MR. BACCHUS: YEAH, THOSE ISSUES BUT THE INVOLVED, INDIVIDUAL ISSUES AS WELL. PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT HEALTH CARE. THEY WANT TO KNOW THAT CERTAIN — THAT SOCIAL SECURITY IS GOING TO BE IMPACTED. THEY WANT TO KNOW THAT OUR GOVERNMENT WILL OPERATE IN A MANNER THAT THEY ARE ACCUSTOMED TO, INSTEAD OF ALLOWING INDIVIDUALS AND PEOPLES TO MAKE DECISIONS, PARTICULARLY FOR WOMEN. THAT IS A BIG ISSUE. SO FOR ALL OF THESE, THE MAJOR ISSUE, IT DEPENDS ON EACH YEAR, EACH ELECTION, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT PEOPLE THINK ARE THE UTMOST, SO WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT FREEDOM OF CHOICE THESE DAYS AND ABOUT DEMOCRACY. BUT WE ALSO HEAR ABOUT THE POCKETBOOK ISSUE. WE CANNOT ESCAPE THAT. GROCERY PRICES ARE GOING THROUGH THE CEILING. CODY: IT IS HARD TO LIVE RIGHT NOW FOR MANY PEOPLE. IT IS OCTOBER 9 TODAY. ONLY A FEW MORE DAYS FOR VOTERS TO REGISTER IN MISSOURI. MR. BACCHUS: RIGHT. CODY: WHAT IS YOUR GROUP DOING? ARE THE REGISTRATION DRIVES? MR. BACCHUS: YES, WE HAVE CONSTANT ORGANIZATIONS FOR ASSISTANCE, MAJOR LIMITATIONS ON ASSISTING PEOPLE VOTING THESE DAYS. YOU CAN ONLY HELP 10 PEOPLE WHAT WE TRY TO DO, PRIMARILY, IS HAPPY REGISTER, ARE YOU REGISTERED CORRECTLY, CHECK THE WEBSITES, AND IF NOT, UPDATE YOUR REGISTRATION STATUS SO YOU CAN VOTE NOVEMBER 8. CODY: WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS WITH FREEDOM INC.? WHAT DRIVES YOU? MR. BACCHUS: WHAT DRIVES ME AS I HAVE BEEN AN ELECTED OFFICIAL BEFORE, AND I KNOW THE NEEDS REQUIRED TO DO THAT WORK, SO WHAT WE DO IS LOOK FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. SO MY JOB IS TO BETTER, A, GET THEM ELECTED, AND, B, HELP THEM DO THE BEST JOB THEY COULD DO. CODY: CAN BACCHUS, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ANNIVERSARY WITH FREEDOM INC.. KAUERAUF THANK YOU. — MR. BACCHUS: THANK YOU. CODY

HISTORY IN ACTION: Freedom Inc. celebrates 60 years of political activism

HISTORY IN ACTION: Freedom Inc. celebrates 60 years of political activism

Updated: 11:30 AM CDT Oct 9, 2022