April 9, 2021

The Kansas African American Affairs Commission stands solidly with those who protest the human life violations which occur when those who are trusted with enforcing the law see themselves as above the law.  As we watch the testimony emerge related to the facts which led to the murder of Minneapolis, Minnesota citizen Mr. George Floyd, we are concerned that an all-too-common situation is being revealed.

Had Mr. Floyd’s murder not been recorded on a smartphone, shared with multiple media outlets, and witnessed by America during a time when the majority of the citizens of our nation were at home in quarantine, this may have been yet another case of police brutality without accountability.

We honor those who serve with dignity, strong conscience, and impeccable character.  We know that the vast majority of those who have taken the oath to preserve and protect do so with unflawed service records.  We respectfully honor our own Commissioner Jonathan Westbrook who has served with excellence on the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department as an officer since 2007.  Yet, we have seen with our own eyes during more than eight minutes of torturous treatment how many men and women of color are treated by law enforcement officers; and we, along with America, are appalled.

Stricter training guidelines must be enforced for law enforcement officers.  Those who violate departmental rules and regulations must be dismissed as unfit for this

human relations position.  Those who demonstrate a propensity for punishment instead of patience, frustration and fear instead of relationship-building, and an utter disregard for human life when the human is of color instead of treating everyone the way they would want to be treated – those individuals have no place in the law enforcement profession.  The Kansas African American Affairs Commission will continue to stand in force with those who are working to prosecute offenders, legislate policies and statutes to correct evident and hidden wrongs, and protest ongoing cover-ups for those whose badges are tarnished by self-preservation and ill intentions.

Dr. Martin Luther King said, and we concur, that “We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.”  We are not satisfied, and we will not be silent. 

Commissioner Dr. Beryl New, Chair
Kansas African American Affairs Commission