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

Du Bois 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 pass the baton."

I am Carl O.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.

- Good afternoon to you.

It is a pleasure to sit here with you today.

How are you?

- Fine, thank you.

- So, I want you to tell me a little bit about the first hospital for African Americans in Kansas City.

- Well, the first hospital that I know of record was the Joseph Lange Hospital at 1227 Michigan.

Joseph Lange was the business manager for Blind Boone, the pianist, and he was a very wealthy man.

When a person in Kansas City, Missouri needed to be hospitalized, they had to go over in Kansas City, Kansas on North 27th Street to the Frederick Douglass Hospital.

And, so in 1902, they brought in Paul Laurence Dunbar, the poet, and they raised money to kick off a building fund for a negro hospital.

Dr Uthank, U-T-H-A-N-K, was the spearhead at the drive.

And so, they came across Mr.Lange.

They appealed to him to help and so he put all the necessary money after they raised whatever they could raise to build the hospital.

I was working in the archives of the Kansas City Missouri School District, and they had a lot of files and information there at that time, and they allowed me to go through it.

And, that's when I went through it.

That's when I come across the program for Paul Laurence Dunbar to come to Kansas City to raise money to build that hospital.

Mr. Chester R.Starks was the one that pushed me to start documenting things.

And then, once I had a lot of different information, he said put it in a book.

When I became aware of the fact that most people who write books depending on their education, will give you the information that you'll get.

It does not necessarily be the truth, and it does not necessarily be a matter of fact.

So, what I decided to do was gather information that was printed or published at the time.

- Knowing that information, especially about our people, how limited that is or how limited it has been, how difficult was it for you to compile all of the historical facts or historical documents that you did?

- Well, my latest book, "1865, Early Negro History", it took me two years to get it together, and then I had a hard time getting it printed because printers want to screen everything, and make it, lighten it all up, and I didn't want do that.

I want it to be just like I got it, just like it appeared.

So, it took me some time to find someone even to print it.

- How many books do you have?

- I got, I've put out about five or six books so far.

Suhaila Dean, a very good friend of mine, he is the one who came up with the name 'Eggs and Enlightenment."

We used to meet every day at McDonald's, and we would get into arguments about what was happening, and where it was happening.

And so, the owner at that time, Louis Webb I asked him could we just have a formal meeting one day out of the week?

And, he agreed to let us have the space.

And so, we met for about 15 or 16 years.

- What is your favorite thing about gathering these stories over the years?

- It is becoming aware of things I didn't know about it.

It brings a different kind of interest to me, to come across some information that I didn't know, and I'm 85 years old.

- So, are you working on any new projects currently?

- Yeah.

I got one more book I'm gonna put out.

About different things that occurred in the 18th and Vine area.

Different businesses.

I have been trying to get someone interested in picking it up and doing it, but you have to have a love for what I do.

I have not been able to find anybody that's crazy like me.

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