Commentary

Michelle T. Johnson cover image for commentary reading "parallel lives"

Commentary | Standing in the Universe of our Police Chief

There is a new show on Netflix that I rapidly consumed called “Stranger Things.” I found it a compelling mishmash — “Poltergeist” meets “Stand By Me” with a little “Twin Peaks” thrown in for good measure. In it, for lack of a better way of putting it, there is a parallel universe called the “Upside…

Read More >
Cover art for MTJ column "Hamilton's fight"

Commentary | Sing Along, Then Speak Up

I’m in the same boat as everyone else — I can’t figure America out. Despite the times I express criticism and discomfort, irritation and downright anger — I’m a proud American. Maybe it’s because I’m an opinion writer and a playwright and am a veteran content consumer (fancy way of saying I’ve watched a lot of TV…

Read More >
Michelle T. Johnson on Anticipation

Commentary | Harry Potter and the Democrats

  I’m a big fan of the Harry Potter series. Not the movies, the books. I miss the pomp and circumstance of lining up outside the bookstore, at midnight, with my friends, making a party of it as we waited for the next story in the ongoing saga. For some folks, it’s sports or concerts,…

Read More >
Cover art for Michelle T. Johnson reading "fear of fear"

Commentary | What It Feels Like

I’m afraid of the fear. That’s the bottom line I have left over from the Republican National Convention last week in Cleveland, Ohio. (And, trust, I’ve got plenty to process next week about the fallout from the Democratic National Convention.) Not that my fear is new. Pretty much since the momentum that is Donald Trump…

Read More >
a woman with the text "processing"

Commentary | The Sky is Not Falling

The sky is not falling. It just seems that it is because we have an image and a video of a falling sky that shows up on our mobile devices. And on our favorite cable stations. Maybe our friends and family are even texting us, warning about the falling sky. Then there’s an abundance of…

Read More >

Local Storytelling. Fact-Based Reporting. Trustworthy Sources.

Help support the nonprofit media landscape in Kansas City and provide a platform for underrepresented voices across the region.