Justice for All People

Justice for All People would like to thank the citizens of Topeka, Kansas for their support in attending its town hall meeting on racial profiling and bias-based policing held on August 20, 2009 at Topeka's Downtown Ramada Inn. At least 112 people attended the meeting (some attendees didn't sign in).

JFAP would particularly like to thank Alvin Brooks, of the Ad-Hoc Group Against crime in Kansas City, for his informative and inspirational keynote address; and former Topeka Mayor James A. McClinton for his deft skills as meeting moderator. 

Special thanks also go to:

• Jack Cobos, who designed event materials
  

• Michael Waters, of the Governor's Task Force on Racial Profiling, who accessed funds to pay for the event
  

• Alonzo Harrison, who opened the meeting
  

• Rev. Royce Miller, who led attendees in prayer
  

• The Anthony Jones' quartet (Anthony Jones, Perry Anthony, David Hysten, and Tony Barksdale), which provided music before the meeting
  

• Event Planner Tammy Hysten, who worked with JFAP and the Ramada Inn to set up the meeting
  

• Jim Parrish and the Ramada Inn, whose staff made the evening enjoyable for all 
  

Also, JFAP would like to thank those community leaders who comprised the meeting's panel:

• Topeka citizen Margo Rangel
  

• Former Topeka Water Commissioner and City Councilmember Jack Alexander
  

• Civic Engagement Opportunity's Bennie Davis
  

• Washburn University Professor Dr. John Paul
  

• Bishop Ronald Lassiter
  

• Former Topeka Human Relations Commission Chair Michael Bell
  

• Law Enforcement Partnership Panel Member Lorean Williams
  

• Topeka Police Department Captain Kirk Thompson
  

• JFAP Chair Jessie Spencer
  

• The Kansas Human Rights Commission's Rick Fischli
  

• Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission Executive Director Steve Cisneros
  

• Shawnee County Sheriff's Office General Counsel Michael George
  

• Shawnee County District Court Judge Joseph Johnson
  

All of the panelists answered questions from the public honestly and constructively.

The town hall meeting was the culmination of weeks of planning to move forward discussions involving JFAP, local law enforcement, civic groups, and the community to develop long-term solutions addressing the concerns of many regarding racial profiling and bias-based policing in Topeka. The town hall meeting was an important step to finally arresging this issue not just for those segments of our population directly affected by it, but for ALL Topekans.

JFAP is planning another town hall meeting in January 2010 to continue to press local and state government to do more to eliminate racial profiling and bias-based policing in Topeka and elsewhere in Kansas.

To tell your stories of racial profiling and bias-based polilcing, or for more information, please contact JFAP at jfaptopeka@yahoo.com.

As some live, we all live, and we all win working together.

Justice For All People

Topeka, Kansas

Justice for All People (JFAP) is dedicated to the proposition that "as some live, we all live."

JFAP's initial focus is on the issue of racial profiling and bias-based policing in Topeka. JFAP held a town-hall meeting on the issue on August 20, 2009 at Topeka's Downtown Ramada Inn, 420 SE 6th. Opposite is a recap of that meeting.

For more information or to share your stories of racial profiling and bias-based policing in Topeka, please e-mail JFAP at

jfaptopeka@yahoo.com