- My good friend Leon Dixon, one of the founders of the W.E.B.

Dubois Learning Center, has often quoted Coach Stan Wright, the first African American track coach of a US national team.

"A relay race is lost or won "based upon how they passed the baton."

I am Carl Boyd, an urban educator since 1964.

I am honored to present this very special series, "Passing the Baton."

In this series, we are highlighting the accomplishments of Kansas City history-makers as they share their stories with this generation's baton-takers.

Enjoy.

(peaceful music) - Well, right here in the heart of the community, Mr. Brooks, at Black Archives, there's a lot of history about things that happened throughout this entire community.

AdHoc Group Against Crime is certainly one of those.

Tell us a little bit about it.

- Well, first of all, let me say, this was a culture Mecca for the African American community until the integration.

And so to be here at the archives is a great moment, as we discussed.

AdHoc Against Crime and other issues that relate to the African American community.

But this, this is a great place to be.

You asked about the AdHoc Group Against Crime.

It was conceived in 1977, after 10 women of the evening, known as prostitutes, were killed.

And the African American community thought that there was a serial killer involved.

They thought he was a police officer, or some white person, who was killing black women, although nine of them were black, one was white.

And so I decided, since I was Assistant City Manager in city government at the time, Kansas City city government, since that was this frustration, and anger with the police department, that they weren't doing what they could, in terms of investigating those 10 homicides, to let me meet with the person who had been assigned the squad to investigate this, and it was Sergeant Al Lomax.

And we sat down and went over those 10 cases, being a former police officer myself for 10 years, and Al sort of a protege.

And we sat and went all 10 of those, and found there was no connection to show that there was a serial killer.

And then in January of 1978, we made our first presentation to the Board of Police Commissioners and it was welcomed.

And then that May of 1978, we, through a marathon with the black-owned radio station of Carter Broadcasting Group, we did a 72 hour marathon from 6:00 AM on Friday morning to 6:00 PM on Sunday.

And we raised $60,000 for the reward fund.

And as a result of that, we helped solve several of those homicides, and some other violent crimes.

And, of course, as you know, having grown up with the AdHoc Group Against Crime, when you were about eight or nine years old, which was in the early nineties, because you led one of the marches for against violence down Troost.

I remember saying to you, get up front and hold that banner.

So that's kind of the history of Ad Hoc, except one other thing.

Our mission was to be the spokes-organization for the African American community, but also to develop a relationship with the police, with the prosecutor's office, with the courts, and with the civic community, because we thought that it took all of those to work with reducing crime and violence.

And now the AdHoc Group Against Crime is still functioning under the leadership of Damon Daniel and I think it's proved that if you develop those relationships with those entities, that you can assist in reducing crime and and violence.

- Tell us a little bit about the naming, and why there is a need for the work to continue.

- Well, it never was meant to be something that was 45 years and continuing that long.

Ad-hoc means short-lived.

Just you put together an ad-hoc committee just to deal with the particular issue and then you go out of business.

But the name was originally, and I did this intentionally, Jermaine, named it the AdHoc Group Against Crime of Community Leaders and Representatives of the Black Community.

But the media said, no way, Mr. Brooks, can we do that on the six or 10 o'clock, nine o'clock news.

So they made it down AdHoc Group Against Crime.

They cut off the last part, which was all right.

It's still functioning, still carrying on, to some degree, as it was intended.

I think that new leadership has made a shift.

Whether or not that's good or bad, time will tell, but I think we've been ad-hocing it, if you will, now for 45 years.

(peaceful music) Young people, especially in the African American community, have to know their history, 'cause that helps you identify with who you are.

And they realize that each one of us stands on the shoulders of those that have come before us.

I think you're a role model.

So I applaud you for what you've learned and how you progressed.

A master's degree in in public administration, your own company.

And I think I have to, although this is supposed to be my interview, but it's our interview, and I appreciate that.

Love you for it.

- Well, I appreciate that too.

You know, the thing that stands out to me the most is something that one of our mutual friends, attorney John Kirks, often talks about, your ability to treat everyone the same.

Whether it's that person at the drug house that we marched on when I was a kid, or to the business person in the corporate office in the suite.

You treated all of them the same.

And I think that's part of the reason why folks like myself admire you.

On Wednesday nights, you're still, at 90 years old, convening African-American males from around the country, and encouraging people to live out their dreams, but then also make a difference.

And so, we are so grateful for that.

And I appreciate you, Mr. Brooks.

- Hey, and I love you for it.

- Thank you, thank you.

(peaceful music) (logo whooshing)