TROOST, A Film About the Racial Division of Kansas City May 3, 2007

For decades, Troost Avenue has been known as the racial dividing line of Kansas City. In 2006, Brian Bustos and Sam Sullivant, both undergraduates at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, decided to make a film retelling just a few of the many stories they believe contributed to the dysfunction in their city.

Through music and film, the two have found a way to revive lost stories of Kansas City’s past and retell them to their generation. During their research, the two students drove up and down Troost Avenue, interviewing people, trying to capture the heartbeat of the street. They were surprised to find, amid empty window shops, vacated buildings, and shattered dreams, a small, diverse group of leaders strategizing to transform Troost Avenue from a line of division to a place of gathering and creativity.

TROOST is a film about a city’s painful past and the citizens who are determined to heal it. It premieres Thursday, May 3, at 7 p.m. at The Creative Minds Arts Center auditorium, 3109 Troost. Admission is free. A discussion follows the film.