African-American elected officials in Indianapolis are livid over what they perceived was severe disrespect towards one of their own at Indiana Black Expo’s Ecumenical Service on July 12.
What upset the Black lawmakers was a sequence of events surrounding the introduction of Mayor Greg Ballard and City-County Council President Maggie Lewis. The only two elected officials allowed to speak at the service.
Bishop T. Garrott Benjamin, resident bishop and senior pastor at Light of the World Church, which has hosted the Ecumenical Service for years, was presiding and waxed eloquently about the mayor for several minutes.
He extolled the mayor’s “family ethic” and the mayor’s “devotion” and the visible support he receives from his wife, first lady Winnie Ballard.
After the mayor’s remarks, Bishop Benjamin then introduced Council President Lewis only as the “first woman council president in history.” That’s it. No other remarks about Lewis’ history making election, or any background about her being a holder of bachelor’s and master’s degrees, a business woman, wife, mother, community servant/leader, proud member of Mt. Paran Baptist Church.
Compared to his flowery introduction of the mayor, to me Bishop Benjamin’s introduction of Lewis was perfunctory; a seeming afterthought compared to Benjamin’s lauding not only of Ballard, but of Interim IMPD Chief Rick Hite who was saluted by Benjamin far longer than his brief introduction of Lewis.
But what angered the Black elected officials even more is that apparently Bishop Benjamin told Lewis, as she came to the rostrum, to only recognize the elected officials in the church and go no farther.
Now, in my decades of experience in our community, there are two rules of protocol for Black politicians and Black ministers. Black politicians don’t tell Black ministers how to preach or address a crowd. And the reverse is true for Black ministers to Black elected officials.
The city’s Black elected officials are displeased that Benjamin would try to restrict the remarks of the president of the City-County Council of America’s 11th largest city.
Many Black elected officials are already steamed at Black Expo for real and perceived slights the past several years. They perceive that Black Expo’s increasingly un-neutral politically.
In their view, they feel Expo has totally broken away from the ethos of Expo’s founders who understood the importance of making sure that both the Republican and Democratic parties and their elected officials would be treated fairly and equally at Expo’s many events.
Black politicos have grumbled to me in recent years about what they’ve considered as disrespect towards Democratic candidates and officeholders at Expo’s Ecumenical Service. I don’t know if they’ve brought their concerns directly to Black Expo President Tanya Bell and Bishop Benjamin. But if they haven’t they need to do so; immediately and forcefully.
Attendance at Expo’s Ecumenical Service has deteriorated in the past couple of years. A major reason is while the guest preachers have been excellent; they’re unknown to the mass of our Indianapolis community. But the discomfort Black elected officials feel about the uneven field at the service could also contribute to continued deterioration of attendance.
Black elected officials and Black Expo and Light of the World Church officials must get together soon, in the spirit of Christian brother and sisterhood, and find common ground and heal these concerns.
What I’m hearing
in the streets
The funeral service for the late state Sen. Glenn Howard was simple, warm, emotional and affectionate. A piano and a soloist provided the music and a cross section of the worlds Howard occupied provided warm, emotional tributes.
Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman talked of Howard’s “passion”; state Rep. Bill Crawford talked emotionally about Howard’s civil rights work; City-County Councilman Monroe Gray gave an extremely emotional, heartfelt tribute.
Howard’s Crispus Attucks alumni colleagues extolled Howard’s love of his historic alma mater; while Indiana Democratic Party Vice-Chair Cordelia Lewis Burks and Marion County Democratic Chairman Ed Treacy extolled Howard’s work in the Democratic Party.
Rev. Charles Harrison, pastor of Howard’s beloved Barnes United Methodist Church, combined humor and pathos in his eulogy extolling Howard and providing encouragement to his family.
The some 500 in attendance was a cross section of those Howard touched during his life in Indianapolis, from the famous to the common.
Business and civic leader Jim Morris, a close Howard friend, was there along with former Supreme Court Justice Ted Boehm.
All of Marion County’s African-American state legislators attended, as did three Lake County Black legislators, along with City-County Council President Maggie Lewis and several of her council colleagues.
Besides Lt. Gov. Skillman, the only Republican elected official attending Howard’s services was Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel.
Some former Hoosiers returned to pay tribute to Howard. They included former Black Expo executive Yolanda McGee, former state Senator now AT&T executive Cleo Washington and a legendary Indianapolis activist from the 1970s and 1980s Berto “Nyofu” Elmore now a successful Philadelphia criminal attorney.
Despite Mayor Ballard attending Howard’s wake, no city official, department head or deputy mayor attended Howard’s funeral. A severe slight for a four term City-County Councilman.
* * * * *
History’s been made in another Indianapolis/Marion County school district as Dr. Dena Cushenberry takes the reins as Warren Township’s new superintendent. A 31-year educator, Cushenberry has been with Warren for over 13 years from principal to top administrative positions.
Cushenberry becomes the second African-American female to head an Indianapolis area school system.
And with her appointment, for the first time Indianapolis has four African-Americans heading local school districts (Pike’s Nathaniel Jones, IPS’ Dr. Eugene White, Washington’s Dr. Nikki Woodson and now Cushenberry in Warren).
Next week, behind the scenes at Black Expo. See ‘ya around the Expo this weekend.
You can email comments to Amos Brown at acbrown@aol.com.
