Hundreds gathered at Swope Park’s Bandstand Thursday evening to remember John Lewis on the fifth anniversary of his passing and push Congress to pass voting rights legislation in his name.
The Kansas City event was part of a nationwide “Good Trouble Lives On” day of action that drew hundreds of thousands of people to the 1,600 rallies in all 50 states. More than 30 local organizations sponsored the rally, creating the kind of diverse coalition Lewis himself built during the civil rights movement.
“We are all here to get in good trouble, necessary trouble,” said host Julee Jonez of KPRS Hot 103 Jamz, echoing Lewis’s famous call to action.
Progress and Setbacks
Jenise Comer of the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition reminded the crowd how far we’ve come. When she was born in 1950, Black families could only gather in a segregated section—known as Watermelon Hill—of Swope Park.
But speakers made clear the fight continues. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act currently sits stalled in Congress while restrictive voting laws advance. The SAVE Act, which would require strict citizenship proof to register to vote, is moving forward while Lewis’s bill remains in committee.
Local Leaders Push Back
“We are going to continue to stand up for our programs, our people, our workers,” Lucas said.
He connected voting rights to broader attacks, including cuts to Medicaid that threaten to close rural hospitals across Missouri and Kansas.
When Lucas asked the crowd what they planned to do about it, they shouted back: “Fight!”
Several local elected officials attended, including state representative Emily Weber and state senator Patty Lewis.
Black Leaders Speak Truth
Reverend Dr. Rodney Williams of the Poor People’s Campaign delivered one of the evening’s most powerful speeches. He called recent federal budget cuts “a death sentence to many,” particularly in communities of color.
Williams connected voting rights to economic justice. When politicians cut SNAP benefits and health care while protecting tax breaks for the wealthy, he argued, it shows exactly why every vote matters.
Bishop Frank Douglas Jr., representing both the ad hoc group against crime and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, warned about backsliding.
“Every time we make progress, there is a swinging pendulum,” said Douglas. “We must be conscious of regression if we’re asleep at the wheel.”
Clifton Campbell spoke for Phi Beta Sigma, Lewis’s fraternity. He recounted Lewis speaking to the fraternity and quoted the congressman’s core belief: “The vote is precious. It’s almost sacred.”
Melanie Busse of the League of Women Voters explained why the John Lewis Act matters. The 2013 Supreme Court decision gutted key voting protections. States with histories of discrimination once needed federal approval before changing election laws. Now they can act first and face challenges later, if at all.
The Lewis bill has 140 organizational endorsements and support from every House Democrat. However, it hasn’t moved since its reintroduction in March.
Meanwhile, the SAVE Act —currently moving through Congress—would restrict access to voting by adding steps like requiring a birth certificate to register to vote. Busse says this will disproportionately harm women who changed names after marriage, communities of color, seniors, and students—the very people Lewis fought to protect.
Broader Coalition Voices
The event showcased the movement’s diversity. Fred Perry from Stand Up KC talked about how lawmakers stripped away workers’ paid sick leave victory in Missouri.
Emily Wales of Planned Parenthood connected reproductive rights to voting access. Missouri voters won constitutional abortion rights through the ballot despite continued state legislative opposition.
Dr. Lynn Bell from the Kansas City Indian Center highlighted barriers facing Native voters, including lack of traditional addresses and polling places hours away on reservations.
Rabbi Doug Alpert of Congregation Kol Ami brought an interfaith perspective, connecting Jewish tradition to democratic participation.
The Work Continues
As the evening ended, the crowd chanted “Good trouble lives on KC!” three times. Lewis died five years ago, but his message of peaceful action to challenge injustice echoed through Swope Park.
The rally brought together a broad coalition of Kansas City organizations including:
- Missouri Voter Protection Coalition – Lead organizer
- Indivisible Kansas City – Co-host organization
- ACLU of Missouri – Civil rights advocacy
- League of Women Voters of Kansas City – Voting rights education
- Planned Parenthood Great Plains – Reproductive rights
- Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity (Alpha Delta Sigma Chapter) – John Lewis’s fraternity
- Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (Beta Omega and Xi-Tau Omega Chapters) – Historic Black sorority
- Poor People’s Campaign of Kansas City – Economic justice
- Stand Up KC/Missouri Workers’ Center – Labor rights
- Kansas City Indian Center – Native American advocacy
- Latinx Education Collaborative – Latino community organizing
- KC Tenants Union – Housing justice
- Congregation Kol Ami – Interfaith participation
- Carter Broadcast Group/Hot 103 Jamz – Media partnership
- Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Kansas City – Civil rights legacy organization
