Kansas City News Blog

Mike S is on to us! Our plan was to endure slavery, racism, and then societally induced unequality for hundreds of years . . . all so, one day, we could make Mike S uncomfortable with our baggy clothing! Retreat! Retreat!

The dress code has my full support. Its not a racist policy - its a business policy to protect an investment. Does the Apollo club let in dudes with skinhead outfits?

Similar dress codes are found in large cities. This is to set the minimum requirements for dress when you enter the district. Once you enter the district, the clubs/bars reserve the right to post their own dress code and refuse business to anyone. The dress code is to set a standard of dress for the district. It is not trying to stereotype anyone. When people dress in baggy pants and long white t's, they are wanting to be classified into a certain group. It's no coincidence that they all got up and put on the same style of clothes. They want to dress a certain way so people look at them as being thugish or gangsta. The P&L district is an upscale district with premium branding and prices. This isn't Westport People. Here's an Idea: Dress like a respectable and responsible adult, and you will be able to get into the district and enjoy all of the bars/clubs that it has to offer. Believe me, Cordish wants to offer the district to everyone. They are looking to make money like any other business.

Gus - can you document a single case of minority being turned away who was dressed properly (and not acting the fool)? I doubt that you can... other than heresay...

Oh yes Mike S. all the bars and restaurants cater to black people and especially those in white-T's!!!!! Come on give me a break; All though a cultural urban style we are not asking the establishments to allow black people with baggy clothes, we are saying make it a fair dress code and either ban all t-'s baggy or no as well as baggy pants and shorts all though that would be impossible. Cordish has this issue in other cities as well so it’s nothing new. It’s always easier to say get over it when its not you or your race that is targeted; it always easier to if that’s not your style of dress. Now this is a cultural racist issue because it started as a black way of dressing and it is targeted to keep us out plain and simple. Look around, even tax breaks has caused our only money making restaurant to move out our neighborhood. P&LD is not meant for black people and guess what they don’t care how we fill or the other establishments in the area that had to shut down. I pay taxes and should be allowed to wear what I want; I am for dress codes if there is a really nice upscale establishment but to initially get into the paddy o’ or what ever you call it is really stupid when you are still out side.

Cordish does not have the right to exclude the taxpayers who have subsidized the cost of the P&L complex. Many of those taxpayers don the baggy pants they outlaw. An individual's attire is not indicative of criminal intent. This is ridiculous and as lame an attempt to cloak the real truth as I've ever seen. This town has taken a giant step in the wrong direction. But so long as you can have a beer and not worry about Darkies descending on your beloved watering hole... Carry on. This is far from over and Cordish will continue to hear from the people until they address the issue.

How is this dress code any different than what a lot of schools require? How is this dress code different than what a lot of African-American owned establishments downtown require?

This is not about race no matter how you try and spin it. The simple fact of the matter is that most of these business cater to a crowd of over people over the age of 21 the nights that the dress code is in place. At this age should we not be able to expect that everyone dress in a manner that does not resemble an association with a criminal element, or if you were preparing for a night of laying on the coach eating Fritos? The are places of business, and all business have always under US laws reserved the right to refuse service to anyone. If you can't go out and enjoy a night on the town with out having to throw on clothing that makes others around you uneasy then why go? What some of the other posters have failed to recognize is that if our downtown area is going to continue to grow, and prosper, and more money is going to be put into rebuilding the dying areas of the city, people from outside the downtown area need to feel as if it is safe to travel into those areas or they will never visit them and we will jsut end up with another Crown Center and more inner urban plight. The PDL has created jobs, and re-vitilized an area of the city that was ignored for years. If they wish for it to continue to grow and be a healthy part of the city those concerned with the dress code need to acknowledge and accept that their are steotypes associated with that kind of dress that are founded in fact, and statistics. When you strap on a pair of baggy pants , a wife beater, and some timberlands you know what kind of message you are trying to send to those who see you. Don't be so niave to say that you don't. Same as if you throw on a suit and tie, or torn pants and a tie dyed shirt. You are trying to send a specific message to those who see you. The developers of PDL understand that they need people to feel safe down there to draw in the people with the most disposible income, and have put rules in place to ensure that. Maybe some of you should travel to like Boston, were their downtowns are thriving because people feel safe and the entire city is winning because of it. Get of your high horse and look at the world for how it is. Your gangster look or your hippy bum look make people uneasy, if you want to come down to PDL, dress with a little more sence towards what they want PDL to be. It's their business at stake not yours.

In the words of my Aunt:"Let's face it" they dont want black men down there to scare off and in most cases, attract and steal their white women from them.lol...its the truth. They should not waste time by making these dress code policies and post: NO BLACK PEOPLE. Point blank. I don't give a flying F**K about going to P&LD. If you do get into there they give you shi**y service and funny looks.
Remember people, this is a distric in downtown. Downtown K.C. is still crappy. The day I can spend a whole day downtown in K.C. with family and/or friends or bymyself(like Chicago, NY even Minneapolis or Village West in KCK)is the day I would really be intrested in going downtown in K.C. There are no shops, no good restaraunts, movie theaters,no recreation.Come on in my opinion its still dead.

Donny I hear you on them catering to crouds over 21 but its not about showing half you ass or shirts that come down to you ankels. Its about the double standard that they enforce. When I say iots a cultural rasist thing I mean yes Black people of all ages wear white-t's and pants that are baggier unfortuanly you have the younger croud that wear some onf the same stuff but to an extreme. Can I documnet when I saw a group of black people turned away; well I remember the day but I didnt take video of it. I can also tell to the day's that white people got in with similar out fits and wasnt turbned away. I can tell you about people dressing forthe purpose of a themed bar and getting in. So I guess this tells me that if (wont happen) P&L ever open a hiphop bar then the baggy white-T wearing people can get in because they are dressing for a theme.

I decided not to go back but its simply not for me at this point; too many stuck up clicks and Johnson county people that act like they own the area. I just hnag out in Johnson county lol :>) I will say this the dress code is posted; yes the dress code has changed a bit and yes it is a hub for black guys to pick up white girls so if you want to at least do that then abide by the rules and get you a white girl. lol!

This is not a black or white issue, it's a dress code issue. They have every right to require a certain dress in their multi million dollar complex, just like any other privately owned business. I think it's racist to say that blacks are incapable of adhering to a well-dressed dress code and whites are somehow already more prone to properly dress for a more glamorous setting, like it just comes naturally to them. There are plenty of white men who prefer baggy clothes and t-shirts and are willing to dress up to go out on the town but for some reason it is racist to ask black men to wear nice clothes...It's just another example of liberal America trying to once again make every issue a race issue so they have something to complain about.

kdjfk

I can see everyone has a different stance on this dress code situation. So, allow me to give my experience. Myself(a white nurse) and my husband(a white government employee) went down to the power and light district to meet up with friends. When we got there we were informed that my husbands attire was not acceptable. Apparently his brand new $100 jeans has too many destructivee holes in them and he A WHITE MAN that works for the GOVERNMENT was not allowed in. So we went back to our hotel changed his jeans and walked right through with no problems. So call it what you may, but simply there is a time and place to wear certain things and this place is one of them. If I recall correctly America's Pub has the same dress code and nobody's lining up at there door protesting. Grow up, dress up, and have fun!

Hey All y'all-
I was stopped at the gate for wearing a light blue T shirt, and had to argue with the guard about what the color of my shirt really was. Eventually I just walked in- no apology from MR.NO LT. BLU TEE- just him yelling at me that he didn't like my attitude. If Power and Light took my tax money, are they entitled to my dignity as well? I should not have to go back home (to Midtown) to change my shirt. Regardless, it is easy to see Power and Light suffering for its arrogance in the dropping attendance. Cordish ran out local businesses, stood firm against light rail, and now wants to dictate what clothes are appropriate in the urban core? Really? Can't wait to see it deliver all that tax revenue.

Seriously? This is insane how this subject is such a big deal. Listen, I'm a minority and I'm not complaining about the dress code. I know better to put on my best pairs of slacks and button up shirt if I were to go out to the Plaza to have a nice steak dinner or put on my Royal shirt if I'm attending a baseball game. Why is dress code such a big deal? Don’t you guys dress up when you go to church? Dress for the occasion people.
We need tourists in Kansas City and protesting about dress code isn't helping.

Common, KCK! Let's get'er did! Let's keep the bumb out of Kansas City, KS. David Cordish is an elitist liberal, which probably means he's racist as well. He's given millions of tax-payer dollars from around the country to his liberal political friends. Now he wants to come over to God's Country, "KANSAS", and grab some more funds to funnel towards his liberal causes. To see what he's done with 'YOUR' money, just go to the link below. You won't believe your eyes!

http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?city=BALTIMORE+++++++++&st=MD&last=Cordish&first=David

Ok I read this entire discussion and was amused until Mi above me decided to write about things he obviously doesn't know anything about. I work at PBR and let me be clear about something, we do not now and have never discriminated against any race or gender or sexual preference or any other stereo type you can come up with. Furthermore, if you're going to talk about my patrons in that way it just goes to show who is really the prejudiced one....you, not us. Just because people come into PBR does not mean they wear skin tight levis. And their hats are worn forward the way they are made to be worn out of respect. And as for civilization Mi....P&L is civilized, Westport on the other hand is not. I feel safe inside the district which is more than I can say for how I feel at 3 a.m. in Westport and RACE has nothing to do with it. Oh and Becca honey we are in Missouri not Kansas. All the bars have a diverse group of people working there of all races and it's insulting them to claim this is a racial issue. It's not, it's a way of life and I would prefer to keep my life safe and the people around me respectful.

This whole P.L. dress code is really blown out of proportion. When you go out don't you want to dress to impress. Have any Black/white person wear jeans, tims and a white tee to ANY 10 clubs/bars in Kansas City and then poll how many of them got denied access. It's not just the district. I've been down there many times and here's my take. 1. They don't allow hip hop music. WRONG. Go inside the Cantina and just listen to "Back that Ass up" 2. They don't book black bands. WRONG. Don't you guys remember when Midnight Star played there last October. Doubt it. 3. The dress code discriminates against blacks. Not blacks....thugs. The place is nice and jeans, some stacys and a button down is more than appropriate. P.S. for the thugs scratchin their heads right now, those are Stacy Adams. A shoe. A DRESS shoe. Get some and move on. My concern is how the handled the whole Jazzy Jeff incident. Bullshit from end to end and I just may have to take my money elsewhere.