Local activist calling for reparations commission in Wichita

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – The Wichita City Council on Tuesday will hear a proposal from a local activist wanting to create a reparations commission. Ahead of the council’s meeting, 12 News spoke with the woman pushing for change.

Kansas Justice Advocate President Mary Dean said she wants Wichita to join the growing number of U.S. cities helping the African American community to heal from decades of systematic racism by creating a reparations commission.

“Why wouldn’t Wichita join other cities around the country to do the right thing?” Dean said.

Dean said she was motivated to push for change in Wichita when she learned that Kansas City, Missouri formed a reparations commission.

“We need to start hearing our people with the traumas that they have been suffering with, systematic racism, for decades,” she said.

That means creating a reparations commission in Wichita.

“I want Wichita to become one of those cities,” Dean said.

Wichita City Councilman Brandon Johnson agrees.

“I think a commission on reparations is always a good thing,” he said. “Black Americans are owed quite a bit, and you know, (we) still have some injustices and things that need to be righted in this country.”

However, support from the city council is only the first step. Johnson said if Wichita forms a reparations commission, it would likely be able to make recommendations.

“As far as the funding aspect and how to make that work, I think that probably would end up at the state level,” Johnson said.

But the first step will be getting the proposal in front of the city council. Dean believes now is the right time to do this.

“Now, here we are in the month of February for Black History Month. Let’s make some history, Wichita, she said.

Johnson said it’s difficult to know how much support Dean’s proposal will have from the full city council, but he said the city’s legal team is reviewing Dean’s documents and he believes the city could at least have a discussion about it in the next 30 to 60 days.