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Friday, April 24, 2020

One house, five people - all (likely) had COVID-19

Gene Murray was on his third dose of antibiotics, trying to get rid of a cough, headache, fever and other symptoms that were piling on. It was March 17, two weeks after Murray first developed a cough. His wife, Alicia, found him in the bed about an hour after Gene said he was going to shower. He was struggling to breathe. Read More ?

Advocates want Indiana prisoners released amid COVID-19 fears

Rev. Mmoja Ajabu has been advocating for better conditions for Indiana inmates for years, but his cause is more urgent in the wake of COVID-19. As a man of faith, he said his advocacy stems from "serving a God of justice." But, it's also personal. Read More ?

The toll of Marion County''s COVID-19 disparities

As president of a neighborhood association, Linda Ellis gets to meet a lot of people in her community and develop relationships. During a time like this, though, that also means getting a front-row seat to the devastation caused by COVID-19. Read More ?

Connecting the dots of disparity, COVID-19 shows clear picture

As COVID-19 tightened its stranglehold on America, one thing became clear with the release of data: African Americans are and will be hit hardest - physically, mentally and financially. Read More ?

At a time when the coronavirus pandemic impacts every facet of life in Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Recorder, in conjunction with Next Generation Initiative and InnoPower, will assemble leaders on Saturday, April 25 at noon for a Zoom Facebook Live virtual town hall meeting. During this special town hall, we will discuss the unique impact COVID-19 has on our African American communities.

Where are the Black tech companies? Local entrepreneurs in the Black tech community will discuss the opportunities and challenges of tech companies in a COVID-19 environment. We will discuss what it means to be a "non-technical" owner or someone who had an idea and designed a company leveraging technology with the assistance of others. We will also explore routes non-technical founders have taken in launching their companies.

Panelists are:

• Ahmad Moore, Co-Founder & CEO, LUKE 630, INC

• LaToya Johnson, MPH, Owner/CEO, AwayZone Inc

• Kelli Jones, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Be Nimble Foundation & Black Hatch Fund

"Small Business Matters - Black Tech and COVID-19" continues the Recorder''s virtual town hall series during the COVID-19 pandemic. This virtual town hall series highlights the Recorder''s continual embrace of new technology while remaining relevant to our community and honoring our historic legacy of service.

"Throughout our 125-year history, it has been the Recorder''s mission to be the eyes, ears, and mouth for African Americans in Indianapolis. During this unprecedented time, we are committed to making sure our residents are armed with the most reliable, up to date information," stated Recorder President Robert Shegog.

To ensure as many people as possible can access the webcast, it is available on both Facebook and Zoom. To watch on Facebook, click here. To RSVP on Zoom, click here.

Community members are also encouraged to submit their questions for the panel by sending them via email to Marconi Wolley marshawn@marshawnwolley.com or by posting issues in advance on the Recorder''s Facebook page.

The Virtual Town Hall Meeting is a "must-view" for all residents of Central Indiana to ensure that everyone gets the right message from those on the frontlines of our city''s efforts to keep everyone safe.

For additional information contact: Marshawn Wolley, Columnist Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper marshawn@marshawnwolley.com   (317) 258-6429.

To find out how the Virtual Town Hall meeting can be cross-posted on your organization''s Facebook page contact: Carrington Murry, Lead Engineer FrontRunner Media NG cmurry@gowithfrontrunner.com

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Friday, June 5, 2020

Standoff ends, protest continues

A nearly hour-long standoff between demonstrators and Indiana State Police (ISP) June 1 ended after ISP officers momentarily removed their riot gear. Late in the afternoon June 1, protesters began a march they hoped would take them to the governor's mansion. A group of roughly 50 people on foot marched, carrying signs reading messages such as "Black lives matter" and "Blue lives murder" and were trailed by a procession of roughly 80 cars as the protest made its way through downtown. Read More ?

2020 census Q&A with Tony Mason

The 2020 census is underway, but some things have changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That doesn't do anything to change how important it is for communities like Indianapolis - with a sizeable Black population - to get a complete response. The census helps determine how billions of dollars in federal funding are allocated over the next 10 years. Read More ?

Parents bring children to protests to 'start them young'

As protests continue to take place throughout Indianapolis in response to the death of George Floyd, a younger - much younger - generation also is marching. Over the weekend in Indianapolis, children - ranging from toddlers to teenagers - walked with their parents, participating in the demonstrations by carrying signs and following along in chants. Read More ?

The mental gymnastics of racism in journalism

"Peaceful protest." I heard and read those words over and over recently. At first blush, those words just describe what happened: the protests were peaceful. We may have published those words in this newspaper. But, something kept gnawing at me the more I heard it. Read More ?

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Friday, July 3, 2020

'''It's not my day of independence,' perceptions of July 4 changing

In a viral post making its rounds on social media, Black people are urged to wear all black on July 4, as opposed to red, white and blue outfits. The post reads, "Independence Day is another BLACK OUT day so they know we're still in this together. Pass this on so the whole world knows BLACK LIVES MATTER.". Read More ?

Dismantling the pipeline

When Mayor Joe Hogsett announced a partnership between the city and New York University to study crime trends in Indianapolis, truancy and graduation rates were cited as metrics for the study. Read More ?

Scammers see COVID-19 as an opportunity

One of the common ways scammers get people to fall for their tricks is by stirring up emotions - anger, panic, excitement, anything to make unsuspecting victims venture away from rational thought. Read More ?

Marion County superintendents band together against racism in schools

Long before the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, racial equity procedures were in place in schools across Indianapolis. Interdepartmental attempts to address discrimination in schools have gone by many labels over the years: diversity and inclusion, racial equity and so on.nbsp;Read More ?

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Friday, May 1, 2020

IndyGo changes course in response to COVID-19

To keep drivers and riders safe through the COVID-19 pandemic, IndyGo is no longer collecting fares and now requires rear-entrance boarding on buses. These measures are in place to enforce social distancing while continuing to get essential workers to their jobs. Read More ?

Indiana Black Expo founder, James Cummings Jr., dies

James C. Cummings Jr., founder of Indiana Black Expo (IBE), died April 23 following a heart attack in a Carmel nursing home. He was 90 years old. Cummings founded IBE alongside a group of community leaders in 1971, when the first event was held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Read More ?

Unemployment insurance causing headaches as state begins distributing extra cash

Phone lines are tied up, and answers seem to be trickling in only a little bit at a time. Desperate for clarity, unemployed Hoosiers are relying on each other. The Facebook group "Indiana Unemployment Peer to Peer Information" has nearly 1,800 members and gets dozens of posts per day. Read More ?

Count it all joy

Let me first start by saying that my thoughts and prayers are with each and every one of you during these uncertain times. I know many of us are conducting business via Zoom, GoToMeetings, WebEx, Google Hangouts, etc. And if you're like me, you end the day scratching your head trying to figure out how you managed to have eight meetings in one day, all the while squeezing in a workout, cleaning the house, cooking meals for your families, maneuvering through e-learning, hanging with friends at Club Quarantine, hosting virtual cocktail parties and spending quality time with your significant other. Whew! It's a lot! Read More ?

The Indianapolis Recorder, along with Next Generation Initiative and InnoPower, will host a virtual town hall at noon May 2 about parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic. The town hall will stream on Zoom and the Recorder's Facebook page. The town hall will focus on adapting to at-home education while maintaining other responsibilities, including working from home.

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Friday, June 12, 2020

Addressing systemic racism in Indianapolis

For the last several weeks, anyone living in downtown Indianapolis could hear chants of "Black lives matter" and "No justice, no peace" echoing throughout Monument Circle. Anyone walking downtown the morning of May 31 could see crews working to clean up glass and board up business windows after violence ensued the night before. Read More ?

''Nothing short of a war crime''

The 1925 Geneva Protocol - an addition to the Geneva Convention - categorized tear gas as a chemical warfare agent and banned its use shortly after World War I. Under this protocol, the United States can still use tear gas on rioting prisoners of war and in rescue missions to recover isolated personnel. However, the protocol dictates civilian casualties must be avoided. Read More ?

Creating masterpieces from destruction

Some may see the boards covering downtown businesses as a sign of destruction. Others, like local artist Shade Bell, view them as an opportunity to rebuild. After local business owners boarded up their shop windows - either preemptively or after they were smashed during the weekend of May 29 - the Arts Council of Indianapolis and Pattern magazine worked to begin pairing Black artists with businesses to create art out of the boards. Read More ?

White Americans must repair the historical damage done to Blacks

It is ironic that I was asked to pen this column on Sunday, May 31. I kept my annual tradition of watching the 2008 film "Before they Die" about the Tulsa Massacre and decimation of "Black Wall Street." However, on this 99th anniversary about the burning, looting and killing of our ancestors and the desecration of this former prosperous Black community, I was distracted by recurring images of George Floyd's murder. Read More ?

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Friday, May 22, 2020

Groups try to ward off 'tsunami' of new evictions once moratorium ends

Those who work in housing advocacy say the current health and economic mess haven't brought out any new issues in housing; the global pandemic and financial collapse are just worsening what was already there. Many in Indianapolis never had that stable of housing to begin with. Read More ?

Libraries slowly reopening

Libraries are often a place for community and sharing. However, COVID-19 has changed the way libraries do business. For most, that meant closing their doors to the public. "The whole thing about libraries is that we share, we open ourselves up to additional risks and exposure," Indiana Marion County Public Library (IMCPL) CEO Jackie Nytes said. Read More ?

Growth data shows promising progress for Black students in innovation and charter schools

After a public records request from Chalkbeat Indiana, the Indiana Department of Education recently released growth scores for the 2019 ILEARN state assessment. This data is from the first year of a more rigorous state assessment that resulted in large drops in proficiency rates. It was the right move for the Indiana General Assembly to pass hold harmless legislation so that schools and educators were not unfairly penalized by this shift. Read More ?

Back on track does not mean out of the woods for African Americans

"Remember (fill in the blank)? She (or he)  just passed away from COVID-19." This is a conversation that is becoming all too familiar. Each announcement is as surprising as the last. In the past few weeks, the conversation has played out for many of us far too often. It starts with a phone call from a parent, friend, colleague or a former classmate. Each time the update on the latest COVID-19 casualty is met with thoughts such as, "I just saw that person a few days (or weeks) ago, and they appeared fine." Read More ?

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Friday, May 8, 2020

'We're just trying to get answers': Fatal IMPD shooting captured on Facebook Live

There was a power vacuum on Michigan Road the night of May 6 as hundreds took to the streets to protest the police shooting that led to the death of Sean Reed. One woman wanted everyone to form a single file line along the crime tape set up by police. "If we don't have order, they won't respect us!" she said. "They won't listen!" Read More ?

Child abuse, neglect happening behind closed doors now

A decline in the number of reports the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) takes in a given month isn't necessarily a positive sign. Especially not now, as many families spend more time alone in their homes with schools and businesses closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More ?

Athletes still training despite quarantine

Cheyenne Hodges and Gabrielle Hart are both sophomores at Pike High School. Like high schoolers across the nation, they have been adapting to online classes for the past several months. Along with changes in their classroom settings, both girls are getting used to not being on a volleyball court. Hodges and Hart both play on the school's volleyball team, as well as club volleyball in the spring. While COVID-19 has made it impossible for the two students to participate in team sports, neither have allowed the pandemic to put a damper on their training. Read More ?

Details about reopening Marion County expected next week

Mayor Joe Hogsett will give an update early next week about the local plan to reopen Marion County. Hogsett said during a May 6 briefing the county's stay-at-home order remains in effect until May 15, and churches will not be allowed to reopen this weekend. Read More ?

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