Marching On!

The Vera Institute of Justice released a report that takes a deep look at economic and race disparities in the county, particularly as it pertains to the criminal justice system. To learn more about the report, called Envisioning Safety: Community-Driven Prosecution Reform in Wyandotte County, ACLU of Kansas Field Director Leslie Butsch is joined by Maresi Starzmann, Senior Research Associate for Vera, and Nichelle Barton, a Wyandotte resident who served as a Community Researcher for the report.

Join our Communications Director, Esmie Tseng, as she engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Mark McCormick, our Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives. Together, they explore the profound insights uncovered in our latest report, titled "Same Water Comin’ Round: Quindaro as a Vision for Kansas."

Discover how Quindaro, the historic neighborhood in Wyandotte County, serves as a beacon, embodying the essence of a multiracial democracy. Mark will guide us through the intricate tapestry of Quindaro's history, offering a compelling vision of what a future Kansas could become—provided we confront our past with unwavering honesty.

The ACLU of Kansas recently released a report, All Democracy is (Still) Local, detailing election access across the state. In this episode of Marching On, ACLU of Kansas Field Director Leslie Butsch talks with activists from four Kansas counties to discuss efforts to make democracy more accessible in their communities.

Our Trans Joy in the Sunflower State series will release over the coming weeks, uplifting the joy and lived experiences of the beautiful, powerful, authentic trans Kansans that make our state better.

ACLU of Kansas Communications Director Esmie Tseng sits down with LGBTQ+ Legal Fellow DC Heigert, who created the series, to share more about the video series.

Kansas is one of only three states with no form of decriminalized marijuana. Among the many problems cannabis prohibition causes, this episode we zoom in on one: the denial of medical care to those who need it. In this episode of Marching On, ACLU of Kansas Communications Director Esmie Tseng leads conversations with two people personally affected by medical marijuana—and it's prohibition. Armetha, a Missouri mom who suffered from chronic seizures, shares how being just beyond the Kansas border allowed her to use medical marijuana to dramatically improve her life. Dan is a Kansas transplant who was prescribed medical marijuana in legal states prior to moving. When he weighed the effectiveness and risks for addiction with other options here, he eventually sought cannibas again—which led to his interaction with the criminal legal system. Both Armetha and Dan share personal insight that illustrates the immense need for medical marijuana in Kansas.

In Kansas, the governor is given an important power— clemency. In 2021 Governor Kelly used this power to free 8 individuals—including Joseph Jones, who applied through the ACLU of Kansas Clemency Project. He joins us in this episode to discuss how he's now working to better the criminal legal system in a stirring interview with ACLU of Kansas Communications Director Esmie Tseng. First, though, Tara Stutsman, a strategist for ACLU's Redemption Campaign joins to give insight to the ACLU's work to promote use of this vital tool.

This legislative session is rushing by, and the fights to expand rights and defend against their infringement are taking place throughout the state house. ACLU of Kansas Policy Director Aileen Berquist is joined by Senate Minority Leader Dinah to reflect on Kansas' legislative session thus far. Civil liberties are on the line as legislators look to erode voting rights and abortion rights.

To start 2023, we're taking a look backward in time. Mark McCormick, Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives, interviews Dr. Galyn Vesey, who—as a student at Wichita State in 1958—participated in the first student-led sit-in in the United States. Afterward, Mark interviews Jo Brown, who was a force for equality when she served as the first African American woman on the Wichita school board.

The imperative 2022 midterm elections are behind us, and our sights move forward to the upcoming legislative session in the Topeka statehouse. Kerry Gooch (Gooch Strategies) and Michael Poppa (Mainstream Coalition) join ACLU of Kansas Executive Director Micah Kubic to analyze the results from the election and look ahead to how those outcomes will impact civil liberties in the 2023 legislative session.

ACLU of Kansas Executive Director Micah Kubic kicks off Marching On with conversations with Former Kansas Governor and United States secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and Loud Light Founder and President Davis Hammet, to discuss the potentially paradigm-shifting rebuke of an anti-abortion amendment on August 2, the defense of civil liberties, and the fight to protect voting rights in the November 8 midterms and beyond.