Rev.
Wallace Hartsfield Sr., who died Jan.
23 at the age of 90, spent more than 40 years of his life as a leader in the Christian community and as a leader in the civil rights movement.
As a civil rights leader, the elder Hartsfield took his faith beyond the church walls and into the community.
KANSAS CITY ISMOURNING THE LOSS OFLONGTIME SPIRITUALLEADER AND CHAMPION OFTHE CIVIL RIGHTSMOVEMENT.REVEREND WALLAHARTSFIELD, PASTOREMERITUS OFMETROPOLITANMISSIONARY BAPTISTCHURCH IN KANSAS CITYWAS LAID TO REST OVERTHE WEEKEND.HE WAS 90 YEARS OLD41 ACTION NEWS ANCHORCYNTHIA NEWSOME JOINSUS WITH MORE ON HISIMPACT ACROSS THEMETRO.HE WAS KNOWN ALOVED BY SO MANYPEOPLE.THIS IS ONE OF MYTREASURED PICTURES ---THE 90 YEAR OLDCHAMPION OF CIVILRIGHTS WAS --BEINGHONORED EARLIER THISYEAR --- FOR LIFE-TIMEACHIEVEMENT.IN MY 23 YEAR CAREERHERE AT 41 ACTIONEWS....THERE ARE SOMEKEY FIGURES IN KANSASCITY HISTORY I'VECOVERED IN THE NEWS...AND GROWN TO RESPECTAND ADMIREREVEREND WALLACEHARTSFIELD, SENIOR -- ISONE OF THEM.A LEGEND IN KANSASCITY..IS GONE...AND HIS LIFE AND LEGACYIS BEING CELEBRATED.REVEREND WALLACEHARTSFIELD SENIOR, WASPASTOR OMETROPOLITANMISSIONARY BAPTISTCHURCH MORE THAN 40YEARS.HIS SON, KNEW HIM BEST.9:46:5)To try to sum dad up as justbeing a black leader iincomplete...he was a leaderfor alTHE ELDER HARTSFIELDWAS A CIVIL RIGHLEADER WHO TOOK HISFAITH BEYOND THECHURCH WALLS AND INTOTHE COMMUNITY.9":35:49Whever we would come tochurch quote un quoteespecially I can rememberback in the 70's and 80's itwould feel odd like we didn'tdo something if a communityissue did not come up.GWEN GRANT, PRESIDENTAND CEO OF THE URBANLEAGUE OF GREATEKANSAS CITY, CALLEDHARTSFIELD-SENIOR...--GODFATHER.9:56:52Gwen Grant, Urban League ofGreater Kansas City,PresidenWhen I think about him, I thinkabout him as having theunique capacity to quiet thestorm and also trouble thewaters.
So he's someonewho could bringpeace and mediation,collaboration and focus onconflict resolution..and andhe could also lead the civdisobedience and the unrestand the discomfort that isnecessary to move the closto change.THE ELDER HARTSFIELD ISKNOWN FOR HIS ABILITYTO BUILD COALITIONSWITH PEOPLE OFDIFFERENT FAITHS ANDDIFFERENT RACES.9:40:57Wallace Hartsfield,IIDad was not ashamed to sthat he stood for the blackcommunity and he was notashamed of that; but at thesame time it was not just ablack thing with dad and hthought was that everyoneneeds access and opportunity.HARTSFIELD SENIOLOVED AND PROVIDED FORHIS FAMILY, STOOD UPCITY TO LEADERS ANDCORPORATE GIANTS.OPENING DOORS FORPEOPLE TO HAVE A PLACETO LIVE, GET A QUALIEDUCATION AND HAVEMANAGEMENT ANDOWNERSHIPOPPORTUNITIES INCORPORATE AMERICA.9:40:15And I think he would want tomake sure that persons wbenfited from those things notever forget how they got theand to share that with somoneelse.10:00:30GWEN GRANThe would want us to addressthe economic divide in kansascity.
He would want us towork to bridge the racial dividein kansas city.
He would wantus to keep working becausewe have not achievedequity.....SO THE SEEDESEQUALITY THATREVEREND WALLACEHARTSFIELD SENIORPLANTED..
WILL CONTINUEGROWINGREVEREND HARTSFIELDSENIORSPENT HIS FINAL YEARSEVEN MORE FOCUSED ONENCOURAGING ANDTEACHING YOUNGPEOPLE -- HOW TO MAKE ADIFFERENCE.CYNTHIA NEWSOME 41ACTION NEW