Co-President’s Message – Jeanne Klein

As we know, our Kansas Senators and Representatives voted in favor of the Big Ugly Bill that ends tax credits for wind and solar energy, cuts Medicaid and food stamps, and closes rural hospitals, among other cruel actions—all to give billionaires massive tax cuts that won’t “trickle down” to most taxpayers. This tragic crisis of extreme hubris not only raises the national debt to $3.4 trillion but also repeats the horrific abuses of immigrants much like enslaved people before and after the Civil War.

My Independence Day was spent discovering how Rev. Thomas W. Henderson (1845-1915), pastor of St. Luke AME Church and Lawrence’s first and twice-elected Black school board, was born free in North Carolina. His mother Lovedy Ann Henderson (1809-1863), a free woman of color, paid $875 to the owner of his father Horace Henderson (1810-1888) “and then persuaded some leading citizens of both Fayetteville and Raleigh to petition the legislature for a bill of emancipation.” Such exceptional parents as these remind us why educating children with birthright citizenships forges future leaders. In 1879, Rev. Henderson conducted the Great Exodus of over 60,000 people from Mississippi and elsewhere under Gov. St. John—allowing more Black families to flourish in Kansas. While pastoring AME churches in Leavenworth and Topeka, he fought for civil rights by editing The Colored Radical and The Colored Citizen, the first two African-American newspapers in Kansas.

All of which brings me to our pressing need for a Communications Director. This volunteer position involves coordinating communications with Maren Steiner on social media; Megan Feighny, The Voter editor, Carol Williamson, newsletter compiler,  Webmanager (TBA), Membership Co-chairs Denise & Linda, and Sonja and myself. Please consider serving your League in this important position. We also encourage you to register and educate voters at Volunteer Signup.

Be sure to attend our Candidate Forums, co-sponsored with the Lawrence NAACP and Women for Kansas.  And by all means, VOTE, ideally in advance, or on August 5, Primary Election Day. As always, Everyone is invited to attend our Board meeting on August 12.

Be well,

Jeanne Klein, Co-President