Imagine if some of Indianapolis’ best and brightest minds from business, government, religion, civic and nonprofits gathered together for a series of intensive meetings and brainstorming over several months.
Imagine if this group reached out to Indy’s business and foundation leadership and made a case for raising tens of millions of dollars in cash and in-kind pledges and assistance.
As one who’s supported virtually every major Indianapolis civic enterprise and adventure for nearly my 40 years as a Hoosier, I’ve earned the right as a community elder to speak frankly and bluntly.
I began this column describing the work of folks behind the bid for Indianapolis’ Super Bowl effort the last several months. While their efforts should be lauded, even though they fell short, I must frankly say that it’s time Indianapolis pauses in dreaming for another chance to host one-time super events.
It’s time the best minds and resources of Indianapolis are devoted to addressing our pressing needs here.
Indiana Sports Corp. head Allison Melangton and her team were able to collar $30 million in hard cash pledges from Indianapolis business and civic organizations to again host a Super Bowl.
Her group came up with creative ways of how to host a superlative event.
Well, Melangton’s team, or a similar high-quality group, should devote serious time and energy working to solve Indianapolis’ pressing problems.
If we don’t address the employment imbalances and rising poverty; if we don’t come to grips with the latent, insidious racism and bigotry that exists here, (yes in this 21st century) we’re not worthy of being a Super Bowl, world class city.
We’re not worthy if we can’t cut the Gordian’s knot and deal once and for all with the scourge of abandoned homes; which are turning our older neighborhoods into ghost towns.
And not just abandoned homes. Scores of office complexes, distribution sites and other business areas are just as decayed as the most blighted neighborhoods of Indianapolis.
Indianapolis won’t be rebuilt and revitalized with gimmicks like overpriced electric cars, bike rentals or apartments for the wealthy; while working-class people strain to find affordable housing.
Sometimes God delivers a setback as a wakeup call.
I think he sent that call when Indy lost on that third ballot in Atlanta last week.
It’s time Indy expends toil, sweat, tears, brainpower and dollars to rebuild our city’s safety, business opportunities, political and fiscal integrity.
It’s time Indy repairs the broken spirit of our residents caused by poverty, unemployment and underemployment.
It’s time Indianapolis plans our own Super Bowl of Renewal.
Mayor Greg Ballard and his sycophants haven’t the guts or fortitude to do it. Perhaps Melangton and her team or other forthright leaders in this city do!
What I’m hearing in the streets
African-American Catholics in Indianapolis, especially parishioners at St. Rita and Holy Angels Catholic Churches, were nervous.
After Holy Angels’ historic church structure was condemned by the Marion County Health Department as structurally unsafe and the church tore it down in August 2012, there were fears the parish might be on the chopping block.
But when the plan, called “Connected in the Spirit,” was announced last week by Archbishop Joseph Tobin, both Holy Angels and St. Rita were spared.
To its credit, the archdiocese recognized the important role that African-American Catholics play not just in their church and faith, but in the overall spirit and life of Indianapolis and the Catholic Archdiocese.
That key role was emphasized in the goals of the two parishes which will retain their separate identity, but share a pastor. Sort of the way Eastern Star Church’s campuses “share” Pastor Jeffrey Johnson or New Life Worship Center locations “share” Pastor John Ramsey.
And in the best news of all, Archbishop Tobin also granted Holy Angels parishioners “permission” to rebuild their church at 28th and Dr. King streets.
Interviewed on our WTLC-AM (1310) “Afternoons with Amos” program, Holy Angels Pastor Rev. Kenneth Taylor said the new Holy Angels Church would be “a modest one,” keeping with the new direction of a Catholic Church without frills as exemplified by Pope Francis.
All in all positive news for Indianapolis’ Black Catholics!
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In release of the Census Bureau’s 2013 population estimates for cities, the minions of Mayor Greg Ballard bragged that Indianapolis’ 2.8 percent growth since 2010 vindicates their boneheaded strategy of luring upscale white young adults to Indy. The truth is far different.
Cities are enjoying a renaissance and population boom. For example, since 2010, Washington, D.C., has grown 7.4 percent. Columbus, Ohio, is up 4.5 percent. The city that “took” our Super Bowl, Minneapolis, is up 4.6 percent.
Unfortunately, since 2010 of America’s 30 largest cities, Indianapolis’ growth is tied for ninth LOWEST!
Finally, Deputy Mayor for Education Jason Kloth reacted to our finding that nine of the 13 public schools in Indianapolis that are severely segregated (enrollments 90 percent or more Black) are mayor’s charter schools by saying the segregation was because of the makeup of their neighborhoods where the schools are located.
That’s not fully true as significant numbers of charter students don’t live in the immediate neighborhoods of their schools.
The pattern of concentrating several charters in the Meadows area helped to perpetuate charters having more severely segregated schools than IPS which only has three.
Sadly the mayor’s office doesn’t understand perpetuating un-diverse charters isn’t healthy for a so-called progressive city.
See ‘ya next week.
You can email comments to Amos Brown at acbrown@aol.com.
