Residents Cite Black heritage, family ties to local schools and urge support for Black-owned businesses

Commenter 1, a resident, said, "Everything is so powerful. We're very energetic. We're very, have a lot of pride."

Commenter 2, a resident, said she was "especially proud to be a part of the first black sorority founded in 1908, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated," and described family ties to local education and civic recognition. "My great aunt Julia Purnell was the president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated in the sixties. My great grandmother, she taught for the Wichita School District for 25 years, and she was inducted into the Black Teachers Hall of Fame here in Kansas," Commenter 2 said.

Commenter 1 said Black History Month and related activities help show "the differences in everyone" and teach children "where we came from, where other family members, people that look like them, what they can do in their lives, what they can be."

Commenter 2 said her book club is reading a book by Anthony Ray Hinton about his wrongful conviction and time on death row: "we're currently reading a book by a black author, Anthony Ray Hinton, who was completely innocent and was yet condemned to death row."

Both speakers urged support for Black-owned businesses. "I try to definitely make it a month that I spend more on black businesses in general, get it out to the black community of different helpful things that can be done within the community," Commenter 1 said.

The remarks described personal family history, community pride and educational connections; no formal actions or votes were recorded in the provided transcript segments.