[1][2] Cleaver then moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where he founded a branch of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference[3] and received a Master of Divinity degree from St. Paul School of Theology.

[6] David Helling, an opinion columnist for the Kansas City Star, wrote of Cleaver's tenure as mayor: "Kansas City's first African-American mayor defined the modern concept of the job: a professional staff, high visibility and a clear agenda.

His speech at a local rally after the Rodney King verdict averted a riot and was his finest moment.

"[7] Cleaver is a cousin of exiled Kansas City Black Panther leader Pete O'Neal.

[16] He has been recognized as "not shy about earmarks" and has brought many federal tax dollars back to Kansas City.

"[19] On December 18, 2019, Cleaver voted for both articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump and is one of only two Missouri House members to do so, along with Lacy Clay.

[20] On September 11, 2014, around 2:50 a.m., what appeared to be a Molotov cocktail was thrown through the window of Cleaver's Kansas City office.

[22] He claimed that African American superdelegates who supported Clinton were subjected to harassment, threatened with primary opponents and called "Uncle Tom."

Cleaver said during the primary he'd be shocked if Obama wasn't the next president but made clear he still supported Clinton until she suspended her bid.

south of 31st St.[29] In 2012, Bank of America sued Emanuel and Dianne Cleaver and Cleaver Company LLC, alleging that the company had defaulted on a $1.46 million commercial real estate loan obtained a decade earlier for a Grandview car wash.[30][31][32] In 2013, the lawsuit was settled.