Chris Killian

In 2014, WMUK aired a three-part series about what some call the “trust gap” between Kalamazoo’s Public Safety Department and the city’s minority residents. But many of those residents say that gap has yet to be closed.

The Kalamazoo Valley Museum will hold a concert Friday night highlighting local transgender and gender non-specific artists called “Unified: A Kalamazoo Music Experience.” The show starts at 7 p.m. at the museum's Stryker Theater. Admission is $5.

For years, Davison Nicholas sang and played in the rock band Two Stars Burning Sun, among many other bands. The muscley and sometimes melodic music was driving and intense. 

Spelling bees used to be about nervous kids in their Sunday best, dusting off words no longer a part of common speech. But Wednesday night you can experience a very different kind of bee. This one isn’t for kids and it’s all about the fun.

Like many cities, Kalamazoo has a trust problem. Many minority residents aren’t happy with the way they’re treated by the city’s Public Safety officers. And many in the department feel the public doesn’t give them enough credit. Could changing a largely white, male police force into one that’s more diverse help bridge that gap? In the last part of our series on the issue, WMUK’s Chris Killian reports on differing approaches to building better police-community relationships.