Public Statement in Condemning August 31 UG Special Session

Public Statement Condemning the Mayor’s Screening of Quindaro Townsite Documentary at Special Session

On August 31, 2023, Mayor Tyrone Garner and his economic advisor Lavert Murray, Sr. called a special session of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/KCK Board of Commissioners. The meeting was an unacceptable and inappropriate attack on a leader in our community. Groundwork Northeast Revitalization Group will not abide by this public humiliation of Reverend Stacy Evans, the Executive Director of the Quindaro Ruins Townsite Project, and the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. We do not tolerate mistreatment of Black women. We do not tolerate the use of the Mayoral platform to spread misinformation. We stand with Rev. Evans. We call for Lavert Murray, Sr. and Mayor Tyrone Garner to publicly condemn the video that they aired during the special session and to apologize publicly to Reverend Evans.

During the special session, Mayor Garner and Lavert Murray, Sr. screened a recently produced documentary about the Quindaro Townsite in its entirety. The filmmaker told a disturbingly one-sided story against Rev. Evans, the AME Church, and Western University. The film made multiple inaccurate and inappropriate statements about Rev. Evans, the AME Church, and Western University. In the film, the filmmaker plainly insinuated that Rev. Evans, the AME Church, and Western University had misappropriated millions of dollars for the restoration of the Quindaro Townsite and that they were responsible for the delays on the restoration. The filmmaker also misrepresented the way by which Western University came to own a majority of the land of the Quindaro Townsite. False and slanderous statements were made in the film, without fact-checking or balanced reporting.

The Mayor and Mr. Murray showed this film as part of an official government convening. The use of an official government platform to air this film is inappropriate. Over one hundred people were in attendance at this meeting in person and online.

We oppose any attempt at bullying Rev. Evans. She deserves respect and support by anyone who wants to be involved in the restoration of the Quindaro Townsite. Our entire community deserves honesty and freedom from government mistreatment.  When harm occurs, the next action to take is to make it right. We call for Lavert Murray, Sr. and Mayor Tyrone Garner to publicly condemn the video that they aired during the special session, and to apologize publicly to Rev. Evans, the AME Church, and Western University.

The Special Session can be viewed here.

Inquiries may be directed to: info@northeastkck.org