Sunrise Movement KC facilitates new community bench construction for city bus stops

 Sunrise Movement KC hosted their One Big Beautiful Bench Build on Saturday, Nov, 15 in response to the city removing benches at bus stops across the metro.

 The group has been building benches since last fall, but those that they place have been removed soon after they are set up. As a reaction to this, the goal on Saturday was to create around 30 benches to put back out into the community.

  The event had around 200 attendees with people from all backgrounds, occupations and ages all working together to build, stain and paint the benches. Along with the bench building, there were groceries provided for those in need.

“It’s been so full of love, we have people as young as six years old and people who are retired,” said Jacob Antolini, a grad student in economics at UMKC and a leader of the public narrative team with Sunrise. “It’s beautiful seeing the diversity of the Kansas City community fighting for a better life.”

  Antolini stressed the importance of the community coming together to demand action from city leaders using the power that they have.

“We aren’t looking to compromise on dignity,” Antolini said. “We’re going to call on even more public officials to step up and provide that better world through the means that they have, through their power.”

  Currently, around 75% of bus stops in Kansas City do not have a place for people to sit, and the city is still working on taking away both the original benches and the ones built by the community.

  Bear the White, a member of Sunrise and a regular bus rider, said that this issue affects a large number of people who utilize the bus every day and that bus waits have become longer at many stops.

“It’s really humiliating to have to sit on the ground while you sit there and wait just to do something like get to work, get groceries or just live your life in this community. It isolates us more by not having that space,” Bear the White said.

  Attendees of the event emphasized that building a strong community during difficult times is one of the most important things that you can do. 

“It means everything. If there’s one thing that capitalism and the powers that be want us to be, it’s divided and community is what brings us together,” said Brenna VanCleave, a member of Sunrise. “We are taking care of our community, we have to.”

  For Joe Simmons, a senior in economics at UMKC and member of Sunrise, being able to provide his labor to support other Kansas Citians was the most valuable part.

“Direct social action is something that there needs to be more of in this city and nationally as well,” Simmons said. “If I can contribute some level of my work and my energy, it does help.”

  This event comes after the new KC streetcar extension opened with free fares amidst talks of adding fares back to buses in the city. 

“They (KCATA) will gladly fund the free fares for that (KC streetcar) because it keeps the tourists here but for the people who have to spend every day here, they don’t even have a place to sit,” Bear the White said.

  Attendees said that even though tensions can be high with these changes, events like this one bring hope.

“The media really emphasizes a divide when that’s not exactly the case,” said Sol Disney, a junior studying psychology. “It’s nice to see a bunch of different people from different walks of life all get together for one common thing.”

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