Civil Rights
Kansas politicians pay tribute to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly ordered U.S. flags in Kansas be flown at half-staff to honor late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Attorney: Driver’s license for undocumented immigrants key to safer roads in Kansas
TOPEKA — An Overland Park attorney is pushing for action that would allow undocumented immigrants in Kansas to obtain a state driver’s license, something she said is necessary for safer roads and safer immigrant populations. To obtain a Kansas driver’s license, immigrants are required to prove they are citizens of the U.S. by providing a […]
Kansas commission members seek refreshed ideas on race and the criminal justice system
TOPEKA — Members of a legislative panel said a refreshed approach to the intersection of criminal justice reform and race is needed after decades of inaction. Melody Brannon, a federal public defender in Kansas, said having the same conversations on police reform with the same ideas won’t move the needle to where marginalized communities need […]
Path to civic engagement for Kansas’ marginalized communities littered with barriers
TOPEKA — Shannon Portillo remembers the glares and sideways glances cast at her father, a darker-skinned, Mexican American man, and her mother, a blond, blue-eyed, white woman, as they entered their polling location together. Despite the looks, her parents took pride in voting, said Portillo, the assistant VP of academic affairs at the University of […]
Kansas tribes seek clarity with federal, state law enforcement
TOPEKA — In Vivien Olsen’s experience as an American Indian tribal attorney, she has seen firsthand how the complicated tribal, state and federal law enforcement relationship has led to over-victimization of native people in Kansas. Olsen, the former tribal attorney for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in Kansas, said native people often face questions about […]
Spanish-speaking Kansans face language barrier amid COVID-19
Veronica Mireles knows from personal experience the perils many Kansas Latinos face navigating health care in Kansas without English fluency. When Mireles arrived at a hospital in Wichita with her ill son, she received a bilingual staff member rather than a qualified interpreter. The staff member provided some basic translations, but it was insufficient. “My […]
KU women’s basketball team leads Black Lives Matter march across campus
University of Kansas women's basketball team draws hundreds to Black Lives Matter march on campus in Lawrence.
‘You just have to act’: Thousands outraged by police brutality rally at March on Washington
WASHINGTON — On the 57th anniversary of the original March on Washington and in the throes of a pandemic, thousands of demonstrators on Friday joined Democratic lawmakers on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to demand Congress act on police brutality and voter suppression. The event, organized by the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, […]
Interfaith call for justice seeks accountability for Wyandotte County officials
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Community activists and faith leaders are demanding action and transparency from Wyandotte County authorities on investigations into wrongful convictions and misconduct of a retired police detective. Khadijah Hardaway, a community organizer for Justice for Wyandotte, said in a call for justice Thursday night that accountability for Kansas City, Kansas, officials is […]
Former Emporia State University employee not happy with $64K ruling for discrimination
TOPEKA — A federal judge has ordered Emporia State University to pay $64,000 to a former employee who faced retaliation after reporting a racist slur in 2015. Angelica Hale, 58, had argued for at least $500,000 to cover wages and benefits she would have earned if she had been allowed to stay at the university […]
Kansas attorney general keen for Legislature to fix shortcomings of state disaster law
Attorney General Derek Schmidt says reform of Kansas' emergency management law is necessary given challenges surfacing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hundreds rally in Topeka to ‘back the blue’ in clash with Black Lives Matter
TOPEKA — Hundreds of police supporters gathered Tuesday afternoon outside the capital’s city hall to protest demands by Black Lives Matter. Standing in sweltering heat, they chanted “back the blue,” joined in prayer, sang “God Bless America,” and cheered speakers, including three Republican candidates for the Kansas Legislature, who urged them to brace for a […]