Inspired by Richard Rothstein’s ‘The Color of Law,’ this film focuses on Kansas City’s Highway 71 project and reveals how the city’s urban renewal efforts displaced 10,000 families. This excerpt from Land of Opportunity: The Road of Resistance explores the impact of real estate and federal policies on urban communities.

When plans to construct Kansas City’s urban highway were initially revealed, affluent white homeowner’s used their social and political capital to relocate the route through the Black neighborhoods of East Kansas City. This episode tells the story of the residents who rose up to combat the destruction of their homes, setting up a court battle that still impacts development to this day.

Land of Opportunity is an ongoing series following the impact of prejudice in urban development and the resilience of communities fighting to preserve their way of life in the face of it. Watch the full special here.