KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Hispanic community is joining hands by placing mock cemeteries in the middle of predominately Hispanic neighborhoods to raise awareness for lives lost to violence.
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The cemeteries are located in the Westside and Northeast neighborhoods, and were part of an initiative started by the Mattie Rhodes Center and the Latino Advocacy Task Force. Families are asked to come out and decorate crosses in honor of their loved ones and pay tribute to Día de los Muertos — a Mexican holiday honoring the dead.
"Each year we see the community come out; all the crosses were donated by volunteers," said Monique Arellano, community resource coordinator with the Mattie Rhodes Center. "There are some different nationalities that are there but primarily it is Latino families."
Jose Macias' family has been part of the memorial since it launched three years ago. His family heard about his death 15 years ago after he lost his life to adrive-by shooting while on his way to a gas station.
"It really just consumed you as a person, definitely as a mother," said Josie Garcia, Jose's mother. "My car drove me to KU Hospital. When I got inside the doctor came out and said my son didn't make it."
Taking inspiration from their Hispanic roots, Josie decorated Jose's cross with his favorite candies, items and pictures of her smiling son to keep his story alive.
"I always feel him, it's his physical presence that I really miss," Garcia said.
The cemetery will be on display for the next two weeks and families who want to take part or donate can reach the Mattie Rhodes Centeror LATF for additional information.
"To really feel a sense of our culture here in Kansas City in a beautiful way to remind us we're there for us, we believe in the afterlife and they're still with us and their spirits are with us," Arellano said.
KCKPD says Macias' case remains open and there are no new leads or arrests.
