Research & Publications

Recently, many of us may be feeling disappointed and frustrated in our national politics. In times like these, when our faith in government institutions and higher systems of power is wavering, our local community resources remain steadfast in their commitment towards progressive advocacy. Here are some local resources for you to plug into.

In honor and celebration of Native American Heritage month, ACLU of Kansas highlights some of the literature and authors that preserve Native Kansas culture and address Native Kansans’ futures. With special thanks to The Raven Bookstore, we have gathered a list of Indigenous Kansas authors and literature we would like to platform as recommended reading for all Kansans.

In September of this year, I sat down with a friend of mine to discuss the collateral effects of mass incarceration, how he found himself caught in the cradle-to-prison pipeline, and how he now works to disrupt the pipeline for the youth in his community.

For 18 months, Wyandotte County community members and local organizations have called on Election Commissioner to make voting easier for voters who speak a primary language other than English. This week, Mayor Tyrone Garner and Unified Government Commissioner Melissa Bynum joined them, and we delivered a petition signed by over 1,000 people calling on Secretary of State Scott Schwab and Election Commissioner Michael Abbott to provide multilingual voting materials.

This past primary election, we had volunteers at 86 polling locations in the state. Here are the Reports From the Field:

Your ability to vote and make your voice heard can vary severely based on where you live. Many decisions affecting voter access are made at the county level, meaning two neighbors on opposite sides of a county line could have dramatically different options on how to vote. One example of this is Shawnee County.

By training citizens to serve as poll monitors, floating poll monitors, and county captains, we are establishing a robust network of election protection across the state. Together, we can uphold the integrity of our democratic process, ensuring that every vote counts and every voice is heard.

I’m a youth advocate for children in the welfare system and a mother of five, and I have also navigated the adult justice system. I know from personal experience how our current bail system in Kansas criminalizes poverty – I was given a one-million dollar bond for six months on a probation violation for misdemeanor theft.

Kansas imprisons fewer juveniles than ever before, but sharp racial disparities stubbornly persist.