Wichita’s homeless population grows to highest number in 12 years
The 2023 “point-in-time” count found most unhoused Wichitans are unaccompanied white males over the age of 25, but all demographic groups are affected.
The Wichita Beacon
Muslim in Kansas: Taben Azad’s quest to belong
An exploration of the price one young Wichitan has paid for being an advocate for the marginalized. As Taben Azad describes it, his activism has already caused him to be exiled from a faith community he’s received death threats for defending, and to be disciplined by the university that named him its Man of the Year.
‘I’m just so angry’: Wichitans feel state neglected to warn them of danger
Investigative story done in collaboration between The Wichita Beacon and KMUW examining the state’s failures to communicate with Wichita residents of a predominantly Black neighborhood about a chemical spill plume identified in the 1990s.
Community is key after experiencing a loss to suicide, Wichita mental health leaders say
Story addressing importance of healthy discussions of depression as means to reduce suicide.
Defying a “gang list” label to find his voice and lend it to others
I’m calling this a democracy story because it the story of the lifelong struggle of a local Black man to be seen and heard for who he is and to find his voice in changing the system. It is exceedingly relevant as Wichita wrestles with its relationship issues between law enforcement and the Black community, particularly in relation to the “gang list.”