Obviously, the biggest event of the 21st Century’s first decade were the 9/11 attacks. For African-Americans, it was the election of President Barack Obama.
But the biggest event in Indianapolis’ African-American community in the century’s first decade was how this now quarter million Black community increased its political power and influence.
When the decade began, there were no Black elected countywide officials, continuing to perpetuate Indianapolis’ UniGov attitude that Blacks couldn’t be elected city/countywide.
Frank Anderson’s landslide win for Marion County Sheriff in 2002 ended that myth. Two years later African-Americans were elected County Treasurer (Mike Rodman) and County Coroner (Dr. Kenneth Ackles then Dr. Frank Lloyd Jr.). In 2006 Billie Breaux became County Auditor. Today, four of Marion County’s nine elected officials are African-American.
When the decade began Blacks and Democrats controlled just one of Indy’s nine township governments. As the decade ends, six of the nine are under Democratic control, with three Black elected Trustees in Center, Pike and Wayne Townships. (Maybe that’s why Republican Governor Mitch Daniels wants to do away with townships).
Black growth added one Black elected legislator, Carolene Mays, in 2002. Her election began a shift to a younger generation of Black elected officials which today includes State Representatives John Bartlett and Cherish Pryor, State Senator Greg Taylor and City-County Councilors Jose Evans and Maggie Lewis.
How significant was Indianapolis’ Black voting power?
In his book The Audacity to Win, David Plouffe, Barack Obama’s campaign manager admitted that they were going to lose the Indiana primary big. But huge turnout and margins in our Black community didn’t give Hillary Clinton the blowout she needed, and helped Obama’s overall victory.
The decade saw a precipitous decline of Black students from the IPS schools, over a quarter, some 5,800 since 2000. This during a decade when the overall number of Blacks attending public schools in the city/county climbed 18.2 percent or 8,197.
A good portion of IPS’ Black student decline was due to charter schools. From three in 2002 to nearly 20 today, nearly one-in-10 Black students attend them.
But the decline of Black IPS students wasn’t just because of charters. The IPS geography is the victim of massive population losses, with Census estimates saying the IPS area has lost some 18,500, or 14 percent, of its Black population since 2000.
The go-go home buying market of the decade fueled an unprecedented growth in the Black population of suburban counties, especially Hamilton, Hendricks and to a lesser extent Hancock Counties. Five suburban districts–Hamilton Southeastern, Avon, Brownsburg, Carmel/Clay and Mt. Vernon Community contain the bulk of Black students in the suburbs. When the decade began these five districts had just 379 Black students. Today, its 2,586; an unprecedented 582 percent increase.
During the decade barriers were broken in a number of Indianapolis and Indiana institutions.
Though he lasted just some five turbulent years, Adam Herbert became Indiana University’s first African-American president in 2003. Three Blacks ran major hospitals: Dr. Patricia Maryland (St. Vincent), Anita Harden (Community East) and Sam Odle (Methodist). Though today only Odle remains.
John Clark heads the Indianapolis International Airport, Roderick Morgan heads the Indiana State Bar Association and Kenneth Lay is the Fishers Fire Chief.
But the biggest business success was at Eli Lilly with Derica Rice becoming the worldwide pharmaceutical company’s chief financial officer; and named an executive vice-president last week.
The decade saw sports barriers broken when Tony Dungy, of the Indianapolis Colts, became the first African-American coach to win the Super Bowl. Dungy was among eight African-American Indiana professional and college head coaches during the decade. Isaiah Thomas (Pacers), Tyrone Willingham (Notre Dame), Mike Davis (Indiana), Ronnie Thompson (Ball State) Ron Hunter and Shann Hart (IUPUI).
Charges of racism drove Thompson and to lesser degrees Davis and Willingham from their jobs and a lack of winning did for Thomas.
Dungy disciple Jim Caldwell succeeded him and continued Dungy’s success.
In media, the decade began with Radio One buying the city’s Black-formatted radio stations including WHHH in 2000 and WTLC-AM/FM in 2001. The latter deal turned WTLC’s regional coverage into a more metropolitan one.
The Indianapolis Recorder, under Carolene Mays’ and Shannon Williams’ leadership, demonstrated that Black newspapers can survive in an internet world and exhibit a perspective of a younger Black generation.
Cheryl Parker solidified her status as the senior African-American news anchor, while Grace Trahan continued her solid performance in the mornings. Andrea Morehead became the first African-American to anchor the pivotal 11 p.m. newscast and kept her station No. 1. And Todd Wallace became the first Black male prime time anchor in nearly 20 years.
Local TV station sportscasts finally diversified with African-Americans, including a Black female, Jeanne Coakley. As the decade ended, Anthony Calhoun became the market’s first Black sports director.
But despite Calhoun’s accomplishment, the number of Blacks in management at the city’s TV station remains embarrassingly small with virtually none in senior management positions.
Calvin Stovall broke a barrier, albeit briefly, as the first Black managing editor at the Indianapolis Star. But the Star lost an irreplaceable voice and insight into our Black community with Lynn Ford’s death in 2002.
We lost plenty of lions during the decade. In media, Ford, Channel 13’s Lis Daily and WTLC’s Robert Turner and Delores Poindexter.
And some of our greatest.
Dr. Frank Lloyd, the unparalleled leader in media, banking, civic servant leadership, the first African-American president of a major Indianapolis medical facility (Methodist) in 2002. Sam Jones, the epitome of the Urban League and racial justice in 2003. The irrepressible entrepreneur, visionary leader and spirit of Indiana Black Expo, Rev. Charles Williams in 2004. Julia Carson, the down home, canny, cunning political leader, our Congresswoman, in 2007.
There were other sinigificant passings in the decade, but those last four were truly one-of-a-kind people who are irreplaceable in the impact they had on this community.
As we begin a new decade, the challenges facing our community are immense: joblessness, rising crime in Black neighborhoods, reduced standard of living, increasing gaps between have-and-have-not, schools and increased racial insensitivity and polarization.
The next decade will be pivotal for Indianapolis and its African-American community. This column starts chronicling it next week. See ‘ya then!
