Andre Carson: Let’s seize this moment to make lasting change
we must dramatically reimagine and reconstruct policing. The Justice in Policing Act, introduced this month in Congress, is a good start.
Diversity
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Jared Council: Emotional dam breaks for black community, including black journalists
As black people progress in society and climb new heights in media, business and more, it brings a false sense of accomplishment that the work is done. Far from it.
Juneteenth tests corporate America’s pledges to fight racism
From Nike to Target, dozens of companies are for the first time commemorating June 19, the effective end of American slavery, but the differences in how are stark.
GIPC forms working group to provide legal services, make policing recommendations
The Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee on Thursday announced the creation of a working group to look at ways to tackle racism and bias in Indianapolis.
New program aims to train more black men to become Indianapolis preschool teachers
Organizers hope to address the barriers that discourage men of color from working as preschool teachers, including a lack of representation in preschool classrooms and the misconception that teaching preschool is like a babysitting job.
UPDATE: Supreme Court says gay, transgender workers protected by federal discrimination law
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that federal anti-discrimination laws protect gay and transgender employees, a major gay rights ruling written by one of the court’s most conservative justices.
After years of marginalizing the issue, Corporate America says ‘black lives matter’
Pushed by employees in some cases or by a fear of losing customers, corporations are being forced to examine their roles in inequalities in hiring, pay and promotion, fostering toxic workplace cultures and consumer discrimination.
NFL commits $250 million over 10 years to ‘combat systemic racism’
The NFL pledged Thursday to contribute the money over 10 years to programs that address racial injustice, bolstering the league’s social justice initiatives first established in cooperation with a group of players amid the national controversy in late 2017.
African Americans point to racial biases in economics
The field of economics is facing an upheaval, with African American scholars decrying bias in the profession and presenting evidence that leading journals have failed to publish sufficient research that documents racial inequalities.
Companies touting Black Lives Matter face workforce scrutiny
Some of the biggest companies pledging solidarity with their black employees and the black community often fall short in their efforts to recruit, maintain and promote minorities within their own ranks.
Marshawn Wolley: Black community needs partners in its quest for change
It is too hard being black in this city, and black people are tired.
Vop Osili: Riots must shake us out of the status quo
We can and will address the concerns of citizens and business owners grappling with the damage to public and private spaces caused by last weekend’s violence. But we cannot do so without simultaneously wrestling, and besting, the historically tolerated race disparities that lie at the heart of that violence.
Perspectives: How we got here—and what comes next
It’s hard to find words for the horror that is the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, just as it is hard to comprehend how the anger over that death—and too many others—led to so much destruction in downtown Indianapolis. But IBJ asked several community leaders to give it a shot. Here’s what they wrote.
Tony Mason: Why a riot ‘is the language of the unheard’
What we are experiencing in our city, and cities across our country, is the language of pain when people’s spirits are broken and they move beyond hopelessness to outrage.
Wave of rage and anguish sweeps U.S. cities as protests turn violent
At the epicenter of the national anguish, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, mobilized his state’s entire National Guard for the first time.
2020 Innovation Issue: Bias is often baked into research, development
For companies that pursue technological advances and innovative solutions, bias can have an enduring impact, making it easy for the cycle to be perpetuated.
Academy to develop, elevate leaders of color in education
The Surge Academy, designed by the Chicago-based not-for-profit Surge Institute, got its start in Kansas City last year. Its entry into Indianapolis is being made possible through a partnership with The Mind Trust.
City-County Council pledges to tackle racial, social disparities in Indianapolis
The resolution, co-sponsored by all 25 council members, calls for creating a steering committee tasked with developing a strategy to end racial disparities, with its first task identifying where disparities exist in city policies.
IUPUI’s student diversity quest sees wins, challenges
About a third of IUPUI’s freshmen this year are minorities, the most in the university’s history, after officials made a concerted effort to increase the number of under-represented students.
Hamilton County judge rules for 4 Indiana cities in RFRA lawsuit
Hamilton Superior Court 1 Judge Michael A. Casati granted summary judgment Thursday to Bloomington, Carmel, Columbus and Indianapolis in litigation brought by the Indiana Family Institute, Indiana Family Action and the American Family Association of Indiana.