KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Books about Black history fill the library at Hickman Mills South Middle School. Soon, the school will have a new name thanks to a man who continues to write Black history in Kansas City.
The Hickman Mills school board voted to name the building Alvin Brooks Middle School at its December meeting.
Brooks is a current member of the school board, so he abstained from the vote on renaming the school. He’s also served on the Kansas City, Missouri, City Council, Board of Police Commissioners and he founded the AdHoc Group Against Crime.
The 92-year-old said education is one of the most important tools for a child, especially a Black child. More than half of the students enrolled in Hickman Mills schools are Black.
“There’s nothing like education,” Brooks said. “I always tell young people, unless you have an education in these days and times, this world of ours has no use for you.”
Superintendent Dr. Yaw Obeng recommended renaming the school after Brooks. He called Brooks “a great symbol” and example for students.
He looks forward to the day teachers assign students history assignments on Brooks and they learn about the living legend's history of policing, education and community engagement.
“He lends himself to the kind of passion, integrity and relentless commitment we want our kids to have toward the future,” Obeng said.
It was important to Obeng that the district rename the school while Brooks is still alive. Brooks agreed.
Obeng hopes the district can install new signs at the school this spring.
“I don’t like that posthumously thing,” Brooks said. “I would rather be [here] for it where I can walk by and see it, so I can speak to the students and administration.”
In 2022, Rockhurst University announced it named its community center the Alvin Brooks Center for Faith-Justice.
In 2021, Brooks published "Binding Us Together", a book about his life and pursuits in civil rights.
—
KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics on both sides of the state line. If you have a story idea to share, you can send Charlie an email at charlie.keegan@kshb.com.
