Difference Maker
Reading High grad Butler, a junior at Kutztown who has made an impact on the basketball court, will become the youngest member of City Council
Wynton Butler heard the commotion coming from upstairs in his family’s Reading home about a year ago and thought nothing of it.
His sons, Wynton II and Wesley, often have spirited discussions about sports, politics and life.
“I heard the yelling and the screaming,” Wynton said. “They came downstairs and said Wesley had decided to run for City Council. I thought he was upset and that maybe the emotion was getting the best of him.
“The next day he told me the same thing. About a week later, he told me, ‘I’m serious. I’m going to do this.’ I wasn’t surprised.”
His parents and his basketball coaches at Reading High and now Kutztown University have realized never to doubt Wesley Butler when he says he’s going to do something.
The 20-year-old Butler, a KU junior, defeated fourterm incumbent Stratton Marmarou, 88, in the Democratic primary election in May and will become the youngest City Council member after he ran unopposed Tuesday. He will represent the city’s District 4.
He’s always had an interest in politics.
Butler has been a member of the Reading Youth Commission and has participated in meetings aimed at controlling gun violence. He spoke at a July vigil in memory of late Congressman John Lewis and was one of many who called on Congress to pass the voting rights act in Lewis’ name.
“I want to make effective decisions that will benefit the city,” he said. “One of the biggest things is the youth. However I can help them, whether it’s passing ordinances or getting things done, I will try my best. I know I can’t fix everything. I hope I can accomplish something.”
Butler already is an accomplished basketball player. At Reading High, he started at point guard as a sophomore for the 2017 PIAA Class 6A championship team, which gave the Red Knights their first state title. At Kutztown, he’s the top returner after he led the Golden Bears as a freshman two years ago in scoring (18.2 points per game) and minutes played. The 2020-21 season was canceled.
“He’s the most complete player we have this year,” KU coach Bernie Driscoll said. “He defends. He shoots. He passes. He draws charges. You can’t defend Wesley. If you take away his 3-pointer, he’s going to bet you in the midrange.
“He actually feels uneasy when he thinks he takes too many shots. We have to get him to shoot more. That will come.”
At Reading, Butler was a three-year starter and a two-time Berks Player of the Year who scored 1,315 career points. After the graduation of Lonnie Walker IV and Tyrone Nesby, he led the Knights to a District 3 title, a runner-up finish and two PIAA Tournament appearances in his final two years.
Reading coach Rick Perez said Butler made himself into a great player.
“He’s just unreal,” Perez said. “He’s completely man made. His super athleticism comes from his work ethic. He doesn’t jump through the roof. He’s not extremely quick. It’s his work, his strength and his poise.
“You can’t knock him off his peg. He’s like the Bruce Lee of basketball.”
Perez watched, sometimes in amazement, how much time Butler spent on his game. He would often show up at Geigle Complex an hour before the Knights’ 5:30 a.m. workouts, even on school days.
“We work out at an insane time in the morning,” Perez said. “The Geigle doors open at 4:30 in the morning. That’s because of Wesley. He’d get there at 4:15, 4:30. His teammates would straggle into the Geigle and he was already there setting the tone. He’d be on the shooting machine.
“I remember one weekday when the first teammate walked in and Wesley already had 1,400 shots in. He was on a quest to make 100 3s in five minutes. He kept me organized. He made sure we had the right jerseys. He made sure we were on time.”
Driscoll has seen Butler’s dedication since he enrolled at Kutztown in the fall of 2019 and also his toughness. As a freshman, Butler played on a team with a limited supporting cast. Opponents would bump and hold him whenever they could to keep him from scoring.
“Teams were taking runs at him and they’d knock him down,” Driscoll said. “He’d just get up and keep going. If another kid has a rough game, he’s the first one to tell him, ‘It’s OK. Get them next time.’
“He sounds like what your dad would tell you when you need a little help and guidance.”
Driscoll likes to call Butler “an old soul.” He quickly gained the respect of his coaches and teammates, administrators and professors at Kutztown with how he has and continues to conduct himself.
Wynton Butler said Wesley has never caused an issue for him and his wife, Tonya.
“Wesley is just special,” Driscoll said. “His core is just phenomenal. He’s empathetic. He cares about people. He’s genuine. I’ve never met a student-athlete like him. I’ve never had a player who possesses the maturity or global viewpoint that he has. I’ve never heard him complain.
“I told his parents that they ought to write a book on how to raise children. ‘You got it right with this one.’ They really did. He’s going to be mayor of Reading some day and governor of Pennsylvania.”
During 2020, when the Kutztown campus was closed because of the pandemic, Butler spent a lot of time following current events besides trying to stay in shape playing basketball with his brother, who is three years older, on the court in his backyard.
The murder of George Floyd prompted Butler to participate in marches in Reading and eventually to run for City Council.
“A lot of stuff happened,” he said. “A lot of Black people were getting killed by police. That was when me and my brother started to talk about City Council. He was telling me I should run.
“I wanted to get involved in something other than basketball because I can’t play basketball my whole life. I did have an interest in politics. Why not go for it? I just felt the timing was right.”