Kenya Cox today announced her resignation as Executive Director of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission (KAAAC).

“I want to express my deep thanks to Kenya Cox for her service in my administration, on the African American Affairs Commission, and to communities of color across Kanas,” Governor Kelly said. “Not only did Kenya spearhead initiatives to reshape the Commission and its work, but she did so between two different administrations and through a once-in-a-century health crisis. I’m particularly grateful for her and her fellow Commission members’ partnership and efforts to provide information, advocacy, and support services to Black Kansans through each phase of our COVID-19 response.”

KAAAC’s work during Cox’s tenure as Executive Director included:

  • Advocating to protect and expand voting rights
  • Helping spearhead the Brown v. Board Mural at the Kansas Statehouse
  • Leading events during Black History Month, Martin Luther King Day, and Juneteenth
  • Partnering with KDHE to increase COVID-19 testing, and later vaccine administration

“I have a love and commitment to Kansas’ African American communities, and I want to thank Governor Kelly for the opportunity to work with this administration on their behalf,” Cox said. “I was extraordinarily proud to lead the African American Affairs Commission’s efforts, including the COVID-19 response strategy, and after, with a vision for the future. One that addresses the heart of our mission – to work together to represent the greater good and to transcend the barriers that divide our communities to help build a better, healthier, and more equitable Kansas for all. Now that the Administration is transitioning through the pandemic, I feel comfortable stepping down, knowing that the Commission is in good hands.”

Kenya Cox was appointed by Governor Sam Brownback in January 2016 to be Executive Director of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission.