A sprinkling of late-afternoon rain dampens Harris Park's cracked asphalt. Two teams bound up and down the basketball court, which is tucked discreetly into Kansas City's Ivanhoe neighborhood. The game is casual but competitive, and the trash talk flows.
Six teams have joined the park's adult league this year; they play only for bragging rights, but the stands are packed anyway. Nearby, a small playground occupies the children of onlookers. Farther away, a woman circles a trail on the park's perimeter, paying the game no attention.
A tall man stalks the sidelines with his whistle, his muscular frame filling out his striped referee's shirt. He calls fouls like a ref but also offers the instructions of a coach. When someone charges past the tallest player on the court for an easy layup, the ref shouts, "C'mon, big man, you gotta put that down." Big Man doesn't acknowledge the tip, but he meets the next offensive threat at the rim, sending the ball, and his opponent, flying.
On other inner city courts, words of wisdom from a 41-year-old volunteer ref would likely be ignored or scoffed at. But not here.
"He owns this park," a 20-something man in the bleachers says, nudging the young woman to his left and pointing out the ref. "Chris owns this park. He did it for the 'hood. He's got cake. He's cool as a motherfucker, too."
It's not slang — the man is speaking literally. Chris Harris actually owns the park, a rectangular swath of green that runs the length of Wayne Avenue between 40th and 41st streets.
Harris grew up in this neighborhood. Back in the '80s, his block was indistinguishable from any other in Ivanhoe. But while Harris was away at college — and stayed away for a career out of town — drugs and violence hacked up his old street. So one summer, 12 years ago, Harris returned with a plan: Demolish the few houses still standing around his own and erect a park in their place.
The city's Parks and Recreation Department doesn't cut a blade of grass here. But the park has become the envy of city officials, who say they'd like to copy Harris Park and place clones in each of the city's six council districts.
One of the reasons that this place is a model among urban parks is something you can't see — not immediately, anyway. When a car rolls slowly by the park, you don't see anybody posturing or hitching up their jeans to suggest that there's something heavy in the waistband. People are at ease here. Other blocks don't feel like this, Harris points out, and it's not like this by accident.
But there are flaws in Harris' model that the city won't copy, organizational defects that threaten his ability to keep the park running. And after going through a year of resigning board members and dwindling coffers, Harris is faced with deciding what's more important: owning the park or seeing it thrive.
Across from the park, a man sits on the wooden porch of a small gray house, drinking in the view.
"It's peaceful here to me," says Henry Harris, Chris' 69-year-old dad. Henry lives in Raytown but drives past this house twice a day, stopping to smoke a GNC on his old porch. "I mind my own business and set everybody else free. And I mean that."
Henry grew up in Louisiana, where he learned an appreciation for owning land, "something you can call your own." When he bought this house in 1962, his was the only black family on the block. The neighbors "told me how glad they was to have us," Henry says. "Month later, for-sale signs was up everywhere."
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Great story.
He has proven, it seems, to spend the money on the area.
No fucking way he could screw it up as much as the city or any Govt.
Give him the money!
Great story. He has proven, it seems, to spend the money on the area. No fucking way he could screw it up as much as the city or any Govt. Give him the money!
Chris, keep up the good work and you can't fail. It's a shame that these people can't see how important this is to you and the kids of the community. Are they upset that you have saved some of the kids from being in jail or getting shot down on the streets like they always portray our black children. If what you are doing is so wrong and messed up while would they call on you to handle the plaza mess. They want you to save their asses but who will save your. Where are our BLACK leaders now?
Chris, keep up the good work and you can't fail. It's a shame that these people can't see how important this is to you and the kids of the community. Are they upset that you have saved some of the kids from being in jail or getting shot down on the streets like they always portray our black children. If what you are doing is so wrong and messed up while would they call on you to handle the plaza mess. They want you to save their asses but who will save your. Where are our BLACK leaders now?
I used to work in the Ivanhoe area, and have had the pleasure to drive pass the park. Never knew the story behind it or who owned it, but had always admired how clean it was. The people in the area respect the rules of the park, and when its closed, you will not find any one there.
My biggest fear, is that if the city takes the park, will it eventually become the same as the other parks in the Metropolitan area. I really wish that Mr. Harris is allowed to keep the park, it seems like when something works, someone is always trying to duplicate or take it away.
My congrats to you, Mr. Harris for a job well done. You are that one in a million that really cares about the young people in our community.
I used to work in the Ivanhoe area, and have had the pleasure to drive pass the park. Never knew the story behind it or who owned it, but had always admired how clean it was. The people in the area respect the rules of the park, and when its closed, you will not find any one there. My biggest fear, is that if the city takes the park, will it eventually become the same as the other parks in the Metropolitan area. I really wish that Mr. Harris is allowed to keep the park, it seems like when something works, someone is always trying to duplicate or take it away. My congrats to you, Mr. Harris for a job well done. You are that one in a million that really cares about the young people in our community.
This sounds like a great place for the community, but $3.5 million is a lot of money for whats there. The reality is it looks like Mr. Harris lived off the donations rather than put them into the park.
This sounds like a great place for the community, but $3.5 million is a lot of money for whats there. The reality is it looks like Mr. Harris lived off the donations rather than put them into the park.
I grew up with Chris and just a couple of blocks up on 38th and his family has always been a big part of the community and it will be really sad to see a small town caring Black Man doing something so out lavished for his own community to direct kids in a good direction. It takes a village to raise a child but it looks like it's taking this one man in a gone down neighbor to raise some parent(s) child. We don't need all hope to be lost. "Big Ups To You Mr Chris Harris" for having so much courage to do something that most people talk about, Giving back to the neighborhood.
I grew up with Chris and just a couple of blocks up on 38th and his family has always been a big part of the community and it will be really sad to see a small town caring Black Man doing something so out lavished for his own community to direct kids in a good direction. It takes a village to raise a child but it looks like it's taking this one man in a gone down neighbor to raise some parent(s) child. We don't need all hope to be lost. "Big Ups To You Mr Chris Harris" for having so much courage to do something that most people talk about, Giving back to the neighborhood.
No good deed goes unpunished. Too bad some deep pockets won't just privately pick up the tab without going through the foundations and non-profit bull. If I hit the powerball I will give you a million, outright, no tax write off or just buy the equipment up to a million as needed.
Also this is the type of positive black man that often goes unnoticed. There are many but not enough. Most don't have the cash or time to do something so public but they are out there everyday raising kids, working jobs, coaching teams, leading community and church youth groups. Hats off to you brothers from a sister that appreciates good (notice I didn't say anything about rich) black men. Keep doing what you do whether you wear a blue collar, navy blue suit, uniform or hard hat
Great Story, it would be tragic to see something like this fall apart which it seems like it's on the verge. The Garmin guy should have never stepped in and just let Harris get in trouble himself, maybe the IRS would have just turned the other way because they saw it as him doing a great thing for a community.
No good deed goes unpunished. Too bad some deep pockets won't just privately pick up the tab without going through the foundations and non-profit bull. If I hit the powerball I will give you a million, outright, no tax write off or just buy the equipment up to a million as needed. Also this is the type of positive black man that often goes unnoticed. There are many but not enough. Most don't have the cash or time to do something so public but they are out there everyday raising kids, working jobs, coaching teams, leading community and church youth groups. Hats off to you brothers from a sister that appreciates good (notice I didn't say anything about rich) black men. Keep doing what you do whether you wear a blue collar, navy blue suit, uniform or hard hat
Great Story, it would be tragic to see something like this fall apart which it seems like it's on the verge. The Garmin guy should have never stepped in and just let Harris get in trouble himself, maybe the IRS would have just turned the other way because they saw it as him doing a great thing for a community.
Great article. This is one of those situations where everyone is right and everyone is wrong.
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