
by Chuck Weber
As the 2025 Kansas Legislature churns forward, it is good to recall that service in public office is a great challenge. The heart and mind of the elected official is constantly under strain, pulled in competing directions.
Elected officials face demands from the party, pressure from the news media, donor expectations and much more. What values drive decisions from our public servants when they are facing deep, difficult decisions? Do faith communities and faith play a part in the decisions of our civic leaders?
No elected official in recent memory suffered more persecution, displayed more courage or demonstrated more intestinal fortitude in the face of adversity than former state representative Marvin Robinson of Kansas City, Kansas.
Educated in USD 500, Robinson attended Emporia State University and served in the Navy. Returning home, he dedicated himself to improving the lives of his neighbors. He is remembered as a humble but fearless street fighter for basic human necessities like electricity and heat in homes.
Robinson’s “crown jewel” of community service was his unwavering quest to preserve and improve the historic Quindaro Cemetery Ruins and Townsite in KCK.
Located on the banks of the Missouri River, slaves toiling under their masters in Missouri had long gazed across the water to Quindaro — in free state Kansas — as a final home and resting place. Robinson wanted to honor their memories and let no one forget.
After joining the Legislature in 2023, saving the deteriorating Quindaro was still Job No. 1 for Robinson, but other issues called. He initially sided with his party and voted no on the Save Women’s Sports Act, which would ensure girls competed only against other girls in athletic competition.
Robinson told me that very weekend, members of his church community confronted him saying: “Marvin, what are you doing? You know better!” It was his defining moment.
“They were right,” recalls Robinson. “I was playing politics and lost my way. My church brothers and sisters helped me back on the righteous path to truth.”
Robinson changed his position, and voted yes on the Save Women’s Sports Act. His was the deciding vote in making Save Women’s Sports the law in Kansas.
Voting his conscience exacted a personal and political price for Robinson. He was verbally attacked during a speech on the house floor. In what was widely described as political payback, the governor vetoed $250,000 proposed by the Legislature to improve Quindaro. He lost friends but gained new ones.
Robinson died of pancreatic cancer within days of losing his primary race last August. His legacy of integrity and the role his church community played in his career is a model of statesmanship for Kansas legislators.