Mayor Lily Wu opposes creating local commission to study reparations for Black residents

Wichita Mayor Lily Wu has come out against creating a commission to study reparations for the city’s Black residents — something a city activist has been pushing for since 2023.

The activist, Mary Dean, received a letter from Wu dated Jan. 2 saying she didn’t support a local reparations ordinance and that reparations should be handled at the federal level. Dean then filed an ethics complaint against Wu.

“As a public servant, Mayor Wu holds an ethical obligation to actively listen to and address the concerns of all her constituents, particularly those from historically marginalized and oppressed communities,” the complaint reads.”

In her letter to Dean, Wu said she had given the “idea of reparations considerable thought and prayer.”

“This issue is extremely complex and potentially divisive,” the letter reads. “I also believe it also presents the risk of undermining the achievements and resilience of our Black American community.”

Dean called the mayor’s response “insulting.”

“I have been patient every month trying to do the right thing and hoping that the mayor would do the right thing for the people that she came into the community to ask for their support to vote for her,” Dean said in an interview with The Eagle.

Wu’s letter to Dean acknowledges seeing her at an event held by the Wichita African American Council of Elders to celebrate Kwanzaa.

“While reflecting on the past year, I’m reminded of the first principle of Kwanzaa: Umoja (Unity),” the letter said. “As our state’s first Asian American mayor and the first woman elected to serve a full term as Wichita Mayor, I deeply understand the importance of fair and impartial representation. Our community voices and perspectives on cultural diversity matter and help foster community dialogue on how to live together in unity.”

Wu continues in her letter talking about the state’s anti-slavery history.

“I also recognize the importance of honoring Kansas’ rich history of independence, which includes entering the Union in 1861 as a free state, where slavery was prohibited. Kansas played a pivotal role in the Underground Railroad and the fight for freedom and justice before the turmoil of ‘Bleeding Kansas.’ In this spirit, the City of Wichita will continue to acknowledge Black History Month and celebrate the profound contributions of Black Americans to our city, state and nation’s history.”

The complaint alleges that Wu has violated a city code establishing that city officials “conduct themselves so as to maintain public confidence in the City and its officials.” The complaint also alleges that Wu violated another part of city code that says officials should address constituent concerns and needs.

Wu did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the complaint.

“As mayor, my primary objective is to focus the city on our community’s top priorities,” Wu’s letter said. “Those are crime, streets, economic development and homelessness, in that order. This has been quite a challenge, especially while our city remains hamstrung by a significant $22 million budget deficit.”

Dean’s ordinance proposal seeks to create a commission to study reparations for the city’s Black residents and harms against the city’s Black residents, like redlining.

Other Midwest cities have recently established similar commissions, including Kansas City and Tulsa.

This is the second ethics complaint to be filed against Wu in recent months. The city’s ethics board recently cleared Wu of a complaint filed against her by the union representing the city’s firefighters alleging she instructed the city’s fire chief to lay off more than 40 firefighters.