Brandon J. Johnson: Do more than celebrate Black History Month

President Ford saw Black History Month as a chance for Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

As we continue to honor the accomplishments of people of color, we must face the challenges that remain.

The criminal justice system continues to punish people of color at higher rates than others. Large sections of communities of color are ignored, divested and underdeveloped. Citizens who make minimum wage can barely survive working full-time hours. The right to vote continues to be restricted after the U.S. Supreme Court struck Section 4 from the Voting Rights Act, and no member of the Kansas congressional delegation has attempted to introduce new legislation to uphold the original standard.

Additionally, we continue to see that many of our elected officials who support the celebration of civil rights leaders, who participate in Black History Month activities and even know the various struggles that underrepresented groups face, do nothing to effectively address these issues.

It is my hope that in 2016, we the people will do much more than celebrate or remember accomplishments during Black History Month. We need action.

As northeast Wichita loses a grocery store and gas station, the elected leaders of the city need to put resources into community-led efforts to shrink the expanding food desert in the area. As payday loan institutions continue to prey upon the most vulnerable of citizens, legislation should be passed to reduce the extreme interest rates being charged. As citizens are having their lives ruined over nonviolent crimes, legislation should be passed to reduce those penalties.

Finally, absolutely no Kansan who works full time should earn poverty wages, or lack the ability to afford health insurance.

From Selma’s marches for voting rights to various pushes for civil rights and even through the beginning and untimely end of the Poor People’s Campaign, we are still struggling in 2016. We must do something about that.

School boards and city, county and state governing bodies must do much more to highlight the greatness of the contribution of black people, but we also must address the ever-present issues facing us all.

This story was originally published February 16, 2016 at 6:01 PM with the headline "Brandon J. Johnson: Do more than celebrate Black History Month."