Activists changed a historically racist street name in Atchison, Kansas. Why didn't local Catholics support it?

The Gloria Purvis Podcast

Division Street ran through Atchison, Kansas. It divided the community along racial lines until a local advocacy group, Atchison United, lobbied to change it. But some Catholics in the city resisted the effort. Kevin Hill, an attorney and member of Atchison United, speaks with Gloria about how racism has become politicized in the United States, including in small cities like Atchison with sizable Catholic populations. Kevin and Gloria recount the story of George Johnson, a Black man from Atchison who was lynched by a white mob in 1870, and make the case that racism is a fundamental life issue for Catholics. Support Gloria's podcast by getting a digital subscription to America today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About Podcast

Too many voices are not being heard in the Catholic Church today. "The Gloria Purvis Podcast" is a new podcast from America Media hosted by radio personality and Catholic commentator, Gloria Purvis. The podcast centers the opinions, stories and experiences of individuals who have been marginalized in the Catholic Church and in society. A consistent ethic of life informs the conversations and honestly critiques narrow applications of Catholic teachings and ideological attitudes. It's not liberal, it's not conservative. It's all about fostering a culture of charitable dialogue around the most complex and contentious issues in the Catholic Church today. It's just Catholic. Episodes will release weekly.
Subscribe to hear the latest episodes and learn more at http://americamagazine.org/gloriapurvispodcast
Photo courtesy of Joseph Gloor/Word on Fire