Many of us fought during the 1970s and 1980s for the importance of diversity in major civic institutions of Indianapolis. Having African-Americans on the boards and on the staffs of civic institutions would help foster diversity and inclusion in those institutions and citywide.
Last week, I had to wonder how that diversity was working out when I read a column by African-American Indianapolis Star columnist Erika Smith.
A relative newcomer to Indy, Smith wondered why all 33 princesses in this year’s 500 Festival were lily-white.
In the 56 years of the festival, and of the 54 festival queens, only two were Black. One, Taylor Adams, just finished her reign as the 2012 500 Festival Queen. The first was the late Lauren Crowner who was crowned in 2002.
In Smith’s column, she quotes a 500 Festival spokeswoman claiming that the festival had reached out to the African-American community to encourage participation in the pageant. Even reaching out to your Indianapolis Recorder at one point.
Smith didn’t ask the festival why, during the year that Taylor Adams was the festival queen, the 500 Festival didn’t make a bigger effort to get Adams in front of our Black community. Our community, particularly Black women and girls, weren’t aware of the history and opportunity Black women had to participate.
It made me wonder if there were still African-Americans on the 500 Festival Board. And if so, what were they doing to increase and improve diversity?
I learned about the festival from one of the first people I met when I arrived in Indianapolis in 1975 – the legendary S. Henry Bundles.
I worked with him for a couple of years at WTLC, where I learned about his legacy as an entrepreneur and servant/leader of both Indianapolis and our Black communities. My first month here, I rode with him in his 500 Festival Pace Car; because he was a 500 Festival Board member.
Back then, the festival had Blacks involved in their leadership and volunteer corps. Some Black girls were 500 princesses, but never made it to the top rung.
I’d attend the 500 Festival Parade and see Bundles and other Black board members and volunteers in their Pace Cars driving parade celebs and 500 drivers.
Back then, the 500 Festival demonstrated that diversity in leadership of a major civic enterprise was possible and desirable.
After the 500 Festival was created in 1957, it quickly became the premier volunteer driven civic enterprise here in Indianapolis. During the late ‘60s and ‘70s there was pressure to open up the festival’s leadership and programs to involve and include our Black community.
When Indianapolis began its sports efforts, organizers copied the 500 Festival volunteer model. Starting with the National Sports Festival in 1982, then the Pan Am Games in 1987, numerous NCAA Final Fours, the Circle City Classic and the Super Bowl, African-Americans (and increasingly Hispanics and other minorities) have served as volunteers, participants and in leadership.
Officials of the 500 Festival told me Monday that there are two African-Americans on its board – Susan Massela, VP/Human Resources at Simon Property Group, and Justin Christian, president/CEO of BCforward, a minority IT consulting firm.
So, imagine my surprise when I looked on the festival’s website and saw a staff that was currently devoid of persons of color.
So, looking at the lack of racial diversity at the 500 Festival this year – from princesses, to staff, to parade celebrities – I have to ask what Massela and Christian are doing on the inside as board members to improve diversity at one of Indy’s premier civic faces to the world?
African-American representation on civic boards and commissions is important for making sure those entities reflect the Indianapolis of the 21st century.
Unfortunately, major civic enterprises and initiatives are being launched in Indianapolis with absolutely no thought or desire to include African-American input.
One example is a major initiative coming out of the Ballard administration’s Office of Educational Innovation. They’ve concocted a plan called “NEO” which stands for Neighborhoods of Educational Opportunity. I’d like to tell you more about the plan, but the mayor’s minions have steadfastly refused to release their “NEO Plan” on the record for Indianapolis media.
I have learned that the mayor’s office developed this NEO Plan with help from a Chapel Hill, N.C., consulting firm that created The Mind Trust’s short-lived 2012 Creating Opportunity Schools plan to reform IPS.
As I understand it, “NEO” is a plan that seeks to holistically improve all Indy schools. The mayor’s minions, in cahoots with others, are shopping this plan to major national foundations seeking tens of millions of dollars.
Unfortunately, I’ve learned this detailed plan, (not just the one shown to selected leaders) was openly prepared excluding input or involvement from African-American organizations and leaders, including Indianapolis-based or national experts on educating Black and minority children.
Some 33.6 percent of school-aged children in Indianapolis/Marion County are Black. So how can you create a scheme to improve public education in Indianapolis that excludes Black folks from the table?
Of course what do you expect when the man at the top of Indianapolis’ power pyramid sits mute on the subject of diversity or race relations?
Unlike the other mayors of the UniGov era, Greg Ballard has never given a major speech on race relations, diversity and inclusion and its importance in an Indy with a fast growing minority community. After 60 months in office, it’s past time for our mayor to speak out on this subject. (And if he has, I’m sure his minions will send me the speech’s transcript).
What I’m hearing
in the streets
WISH-TV (Channel 8) has a new anchor starting next month. She’s Lori Wilson, an African-American native of Columbus, Ind. Wilson will be anchoring the 5 p.m. newscast and doing live reports on the station’s 10 p.m. newscast on MYIndy-TV (Channel 23) and WISH-TV’s 11 p.m. newscast. Wilson comes home to Indiana from WCAU-TV, the NBC owned station in Philadelphia. Wilson spent 10 years as an anchor in Philly and Atlanta. An IU grad, Wilson takes the spot that Deanna Dewberry had with Channel 8 before she moved to Dallas last October.
See ‘ya next week.
You can send comments to Amos Brown at acbrown@aol.com.
