#BlackHistoryMonth Tyrone Aiken’s background is different than other Kansas City Park Board Commissioners. Mr. Aiken, who was a Commissioner from 2007 until 2011, has been involved in the arts community from the time he was a child. He trained as a dancer in arts-related schools in New York. As an adult he has been deeply involved with the Alvin Ailey organization and the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey in several capacities for over 20 years. When he and others were appointed to the Board in 2007 by Mayor Mark Funkhouser, the Mayor emphasized that he wanted to place people with diverse backgrounds on the Board.Mr. Aiken grew up in Amityville, New York, the ninth of 16 children. He was dependable and organized even as a child, enjoying the feelings of responsibility and leadership. After receiving a Certificate in Dance from The Ailey School in New York City, he danced with several companies and created and worked on choreography. While living in the East, he also taught dancing and was a founder of the Ethos Dance Company in New York.In 1995, he moved to Kansas City to become the Director of Artistic and Educational Programs with the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey group. His planning and success with the program AileyCamp brought much positive recognition to the camp’s education of children on health, family and self-esteem, along with the importance of physical exercise. His abilities in teaching and connecting positively with both children and adults have brought him much praise.Mr. Aiken became the Executive Director of the Ailey group in 2006 and the Chief Artistic Officer in 2015. He has also worked with several other arts groups including the Kansas Arts Commission, the Missouri Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. #KCParks #FromTheArchives