Brian Burnes
Freelance Writer
Stories by Brian Burnes
Kansas City Monarchs Making History … Again
The Kansas City Monarchs have been at the crossroads of social change for a century.
MLK in Kansas City
Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. visited Kansas City at least six times between 1957 and 1968.
Harry Truman’s Christmas Story (Bah Humbug)
Harry Truman's first Christmas as president was spent taking a dicey plane trip in fowl weather to return home, only to be confronted by a disgruntled wife.
Remembering Revolutionary War Patriots Buried Among Us
About 20 Revolutionary War patriots are buried in the Kansas City area. Here are some of their stories.
Kansas City’s Long Road to Women’s Suffrage
Ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920 extending women the power to vote capped a 70-year struggle in the Kansas City area by women seeking a voice in politics.
A Sordid History of Kansas City Election Fraud
The Kansas City area has a rich legacy of election fraud, stretching from before the Civil War to after World War II.
A Tale of Atomic Bombs and Paper Cranes
For the past decade, President Harry Truman's eldest grandson has engaged in a continuing public dialogue with survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 75 years ago.
Remembrance of Independence Days Past in Kansas City
Kansas City has persisted in celebrating Independence Day in both good times and bad.
Words From World War I Echo Eerily a Century Later
The National World War I Museum and Memorial has spent the pandemic shutdown transcribing handwritten letters and converting them to digital form.
Documenting the Pandemic for Posterity
Johnson County Museum has launched an initiative to gather detailed descriptions of daily life to document the age of coronavirus.