Longtime Kansas City preacher and civil rights leader, Sam Mann, died this week
In 2011, when the Rev. Sam Mann retired after 40 years leading St. Mark Union Church on Kansas City’s East Side, the late Rev. Nelson “Fuzzy” Thompson summed up the essence of one of Kansas City’s most beloved and respected preachers, calling Mann “a warrior and a beautiful brother.” His granddaughter, Briana Mann, in a Facebook post this week, announced that the Rev. Sam Mann died at home Tuesday morning, Nov. 3, after a long illness. He was 86. His memorial will be held at 11 a.m. on Nov. 21 at Metropolitan Spiritual Church of Christ, 1231 Garfield Ave., Kansas City. When the news of Mann’s passing hit the internet, his friends and colleagues flooded social media with praise, tributes, and messages of gratitude for his many years of service and fight for social and racial justice in Kansas City. “Today, we lost more than a grandfather,” Briana Mann said in her post. “We lost a true pillar of our family and community. He was a fierce community leader, a devoted pastor, a husband, and a father figure to so many. His life was a testament to faith, strength, leadership, service, and unconditional love.” She went on to say her
