Jackson County Executive Frank White encourages Missourians to talk with others about the issues that are dividing the nation.
“I think the thing to do if you live in a community where you don’t see a lot of black people or deal with a lot of minority people, if you’re really interested in what’s going on and truly shaken with what you saw on TV as it relates to Mr. Floyd, then I would say reach out the law enforcement in your community, have some conversations,” White said. “Schedule some town halls, have some people come in to speak. That can give you a really good idea of what you can do to get involved. I was really struck by the diversity of the crowds in the protests around the country. I think a lot of people were shaken by what they saw.”
White appeared on “This Week in Missouri Politics” on Sunday to discuss the fallout of the death of George Floyd as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. White talked about the use of force by Minneapolis police officers, as well as the possibility of additional social work training for police officers. White discussed his own experiences with police and protesting, having been a high school senior at the time of Martin Luthor King Jr.’s assassination and experienced the protests in Kansas City in the days that followed.
White also discussed the impact that COVID-19 has had on Jackson County, identifying a big difference between the area and rural communities as the population and density. He praised the governor’s decision to allow local leadership to regulate the response to the virus.
“That’s why he left it up to the county and the city in Kansas City and St. Louis, because our situation was totally different than what he was seeing in the rural communities, so he allowed us to go a little stricter than his orders,” he said.
Kansas City, located in Jackson County, Missouri, experienced riots and arson fires for several nights in response to the death of George Floyd.
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice