Long, long before I was an Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper columnist, I spent a couple of hours talking with an early Black Indiana media Hall of Famer, Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame member Marcus Stewart Sr., Indianapolis Recorder editor from the 1920s to the 1980s.
Stewart’s stories of the threats and intimidation he and this newspaper endured during the days of legal apartheid and Jim Crow was educational and inspiring.
I remember my conversation with Mr. Stewart each week when I write this column. Stewart endured Klan threats, economic boycotts, death threats and worse. I only receive threats from inexperienced bullies.
I hate to have to say it, but in their first weeks Mayor Greg Ballard and his top aides exhibited a lack of understanding of the role media play in this or any other city. In the newsrooms and executive offices of Indianapolis’ media organizations, heads are shaking in puzzlement and bafflement at the inexperience, in how the Ballard administration works, or doesn’t work with the city’s media organizations.
Unfortunately, Black media has born the brunt of the Ballard brood’s lack of understanding and distrust of media.
Despite disagreements on issues, for several decades there’s been a positive working relationship between Indianapolis’ Black media — broadcast and print — and Indianapolis’ mayors. But, recently something happened that was truly unprecedented.
Because of something I didn’t do, because the Ballard brood felt I didn’t stand up and protect the mayor from the wrath of community opinion, mayoral staffers in America’s 12th largest city took retaliatory action against an Indianapolis Black media entity; a retaliatory action targeting yours truly.
The retaliatory action was contained in a January 30th e-mail sent from the Mayor’s Office to city department heads.
The retaliatory action was illegal. It violated the First and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, the Indiana Constitution, the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Communications Act of 1934 and the Code of Federal Regulations — Part 73 and various Indiana statutes.
After others pointed out to Mayor Ballard and his administration the outrageousness of their illegal directive, it was “rescinded.”
It is rare for the chief executive of a governmental entity to take retaliatory action against a media organization. President Richard Nixon against the Washington Post during Watergate, Nixon against The New York Times in the Pentagon Papers case and Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich fighting the Baltimore Sun are the most egregious cases that come to mind.
I must admit I was tempted to tell this story to Andrea Morehead, Cheryl Parker, Deanna Dewberry and Todd Wallace. They’d had a field day, especially in a sweeps month. The story would’ve made national news and the thought of being on “Larry King,” the “Today Show,” “Good Morning America” and MSNBC as the media guy being beat up by big government was tempting, too.
But, I don’t want a confrontation with Mayor Ballard and his brood. I want to believe that he shares, with me, the desire to do what’s best for Indianapolis, including our African-American community. Releasing how vindictive his people tried to be with me and one of the city’s venerable Black media would poison race relations in this town for months.
So, I’m not gonna reveal the text of the illegal retaliatory mayoral directive — for now. Nor will I tell you whether the target was the Indianapolis Recorder or WTLC Radio.
(Though I may frame the illegal order in my office as a reminder of the importance of my responsibility to my community.)
I’m privileged to be part of two distinguished and historic media. The Indianapolis Recorder, is one of America’s oldest Black newspapers and WTLC, the oldest Black FM station in the nation, celebrates 40 years of service this year.
I will continue to “Just Tell It,” in print and on the air. I owe it to this community. And I especially owe it to Marcus Stewart Sr.
What I’m hearing in the streets
If you needed any confirmation of what time it is for African-Americans in Indianapolis then look at what the Republican City-County Council majority is planning to do. They’re putting on the Marion County Public Safety Board one of the council’s most notorious Neanderthals -William Dowden.
In 20 years on the council, Dowden was notorious for his well-known hostility towards our African-American community and any attempt to bring police under civilian command and control.
As the longtime chairman of the council’s Public Safety Committee, Dowden fought bitterly against civilian review of police actions. He tried to block creation of the Police Civilian Complaint Board, and complained bitterly everytime Blacks and others complained about police abuse of power and insensitivity.
Dowden’s Neanderthalism and disdain for African-Americans reached its peak on Aug. 9, 2002, when he and then Councilman Bob Massie, publicly condemned the 1,100 people who had packed the old Omega Center angrily complaining against police maltreatment and abuse of power during the 2002 Indiana Black Expo.
Dowden and Massie called those 1,100 peaceful protesters “gorillas and thugs” and condemned Mayor Bart Peterson and Congresswoman Julia Carson for sponsoring the public meeting to hear the community’s outrage.
Dowden and Massie’s comments created a firestorm of outrage, from Democrats and Republicans, Blacks and whites, along with a fiery Indianapolis Star editorial.
To his credit, Massie, quickly and publicly apologized to the African-American community, through the pages of the Recorder, WTLC and Channel 65. Unfortunately, our community still waits six years later for an apology from William Dowden.
So this man who believed that those who peacefully exercised their First Amendment rights were “gorillas and thugs” will again help create policies and procedures for our metropolitan police.
Dowden’s appointment is the council’s doing. Mayor Ballard really doesn’t have a say or a veto, but Ballard can and should speak out against this deliberate slap in the face. Mayor Ballard must condemn the selection of an unrepentant, unapologetic, divisive man who condones police misconduct and condemns peaceful protest.
Dowden’s appointment to the Public Safety Board is the strongest signal yet that the resurgent Republicans are out to put Indianapolis’ quarter million African-Americans in their place. A place our Black community doesn’t want to go.
See ‘ya next week.
Amos Brown’s opinions are not necessarily those of the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. You can contact him at (317) 221-0915 or by e-mail at ACBROWN@AOL.COM.
