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Page A8 Indianapolis Recorder Friday, January 24, 2025(317) 924-5143P.O. Box 18499, Indianapolis, IN 46218-0499newsroom@indyrecorder.comIndianapolis Recorder Newspaper encourages short, concise letters to the editor and opinion articles from the public. Letters and opinion articles will be used at the editor%u2019s discretion and are subject to editing. We will not guarantee publication of material received. We cannot guarantee dates of publication. Letters containing libelous or untrue statements will not be published. All letters and opinion articles must include a verifiable full name, address and telephone number. This information will not be published at the request of the writer. Letters and articles should be typed but will be accepted if handwriting is legible.BUSINESSBusiness Office Manager..............Lystina JimenezBusiness Office/Legals..................Crystal%u2009Dalton ADVERTISING/MARKETINGSenior Strategic Media Consultant......Rita J. Wise Sales Representative...................Michael FalkerPRODUCTIONProduction Manager..........................................................................................Jeana M. Lewis OuattaraGeorge P. StewartFounder-EditorPublisher1895-1924Marcus C. Stewart Sr.Editor-Publisher1925-1988Eunice TrotterEditor-in-ChiefPublisher1988-1990William G. MaysOwner/ Publisher1990-presentPresident/Chief Executive Officer................................................................................................Robert ShegogEDITORIALEditor-in-Chief.................................Camike Jones Copy Editor..................................Mandi PattersonTechnology Editor......................Rupal Thanawala Arts & Culture Reporter.................Chloe McGowanMulti-Media & Sports Reporter.........Noral ParhamHealth & Environmental Reporter.............................................................................Hanna RauworthEDITORIALBy ELLISE A. SMITHThe morning after the election left a lot of people in their emotions. For some, it was a victory. For others, it was a deep exhale from the days of holding their breaths praying to finally create a generation that did not fear the gender of leadership nor dismiss the truths of those who are harmed %u2014 no matter the amount of video evidence or number of voices from the community crying out for help. Some prayed, shouted, rallied, educated, volunteered, knocked on doors, became transportation systems, etc. to ensure fair and intentional democracy would have a chance at winning. Some voted because they thought America was ready to shift and head in a new direction. But we learned we ain%u2019t ready. Yes, ain%u2019t. We are still a society that allows the fear of difference to interrupt our opportunity to improve experiences and lives.As I have mentioned in previous columns, I was raised by my grandparents, Shirley and James Steeple. Two individuals born and raised in the small city of Ware Shoals, South Carolina. In the 1960s they moved their three small children to Detroit, Michigan. Detroit was %u2018fast-paced%u2019 compared to their experience in the south. My grandfather became a truck driver, and my grandmother worked at General Motors (GM). Growing up, they were the Beyonce and Jay-Z of my family. They instilled in us the value of hard work, the realities of racism, and that money was not everything, but it did allow you to navigate life easier if you put God and doing the right thing, first. Holding these lessons close, I started to observe the experiences my grandparents shared. Learning more about their experiences drove me to challenge society and its desire to create barriers for some versus others. My family%u2019s story made me realize the work of DEI had a deep-rooted history and led me to act via advocacy, education, activism and using my %u2018big mouth%u2019 to interrupt unjust systems. Over the last nine years of my professional career in DEI, I have watched individuals change their perspectives, ask questions, desire to learn more and even push back. However, the difference between 2020 and 2024 showed me just how much those who are misinformed about DEI%u2019s efforts have control to cancel the work and they did so by closing offices across the country including higher education institutions and corporations.The morning after the election, the world felt awkward. A cringing feeling where some thought they won, others felt like they made a mistake and some sucked their teeth as if to say, %u201chere we go again.%u201d Social media never had a still moment. Posts were going up at rapid speeds. There were individuals of multiple viewpoints blaming each other, all the wings were leaning against each other, while confusion and fear suffocated others from speaking. Up until the election, I reminded colleagues and clients that no matter the results, those who come from low-income backgrounds, different religious beliefs, identities of the historically silenced, and vulnerable populations, would live in confusion and fear no matter the elected official. One side was going to cheer in glee, continuing to think they have the right to say and do harmful and hateful things, a group of people upset if they saw a woman in office, and another group terrified that their already silenced identities would lead to further isolation.For me it was about intention. No candidate is perfect, and accountability is what we employ in order to break down the barriers of racism, sexism, all the %u2018isms and phobias as they have real life consequences. The impact includes being excluded from affordable housing due to your race. Being denied health care because you are in a same-sex relationship or do not identify as the gender society wants you to be. Not being able to live in safe communities because your 40-hours-a-week job doesn%u2019t afford you necessities for basic survival. When the intersections of your gender and size is the root cause of all your health ailments even the ones with no scientific evidence supporting those claims. When your race and ethnicity automatically make you a suspect in a crime. So, when people tell me DEI has no value and we only gripe about not being able to talk about our %u2018stories%u2019, I remind them of the decades of research that speak about the aforementioned, and how it continues to impact, intentionally, some groups of people more than other groups. Therefore, when I speak of intention, I speak of the intentions of everyone. Even the ones who have an agenda and their agenda does more harm than good, like being a DEI hater.Read the full story at indianapolisrecorder.com.By LARRY SMITHA little more than a year ago, I wrote about the MERIT Act, which was introduced by Sens. Todd Young of Indiana and Tim Kaine of Virginia. Democrat Kaine and Republican Young proposed MERIT, which stands for Merit-Based Educational Reforms Institutional Transparency. The proposed bill would curtail legacy admissions in higher education. A %u201clegacy%u201d in this context refers to a high school student whose close relative (e.g., mother, grandfather, etc.) attended a college or university to which the student has applied %u2014 especially if it%u2019s an %u201celite%u201d institution. MERIT is designed to level the playing field vis-%u00e0-vis non-legacy high school students. According to a%u00a0report%u00a0from Education Reform Now, more than 100 colleges and universities have eradicated preferences for legacies since 2015. Still, there were nearly 800 institutions that employed the practice as of 2020. In part the bill reads, %u201cTo amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the standards for accreditation of an institution of higher education to assess the institution%u2019s adoption of admissions practices that refrain from preferential treatment in admissions based on an applicant%u2019s relationship to alumni of, or donors to, the institution, to authorize a feasibility study on data collection, and for other purposes.%u201d Despite the fact that Congress has yet to pass MERIT, Young and Kaine should be given credit for attempting to make college admissions more equitable. Bipartisanship is quite rare these days; it is good to know that politicians still reach across the aisle in an effort to benefit their constituents.Of course, Americans are increasingly hearing from politicians, pundits, and even entertainers regarding the importance of %u201cmerit%u201d in enhancing our society. By definition, then, they agree with me that America is not currently structured in a way that rewards those who are the most qualified to be hired and/or promoted in any given field of endeavor. Indeed, there have been incessant calls for %u201cmerit%u201d to supplant DEI in every facet of American life, with the implicit (and sometimes explicit) claim that the latter is antithetical to the former. Thus, I am calling on all government officials at the federal, state, and local levels to aggressively launch a nationwide effort to codify merit in our laws. The new legislation should do four things. First, the laws should expressly confirm that America has never been a meritocracy. This nation enshrined racial discrimination in the Constitution. It then enforced those laws by custom and %u2014 when deemed necessary %u2014 by violence. Second, the new laws should recognize that the effect of centuries of racial discrimination against people of color has been self-reinforcing. Thus, our contemporary society is intentionally, inherently, and inveterately non-meritocratic. Third, the new laws should clearly and unequivocally define what %u201cmerit%u201d is for every role and responsibility in our nation. Regarding this point, removing all ambiguity from the definition will ensure that a single, objective standard applies to all people, irrespective of their race, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, or any other personal characteristic. Anything less would be a sham.Finally, the new laws must impose strict penalties, including incarceration, on those who violate them. We will then be able to hold individuals and institutions accountable for their failure to hire people based on the legal definition of merit. As a nation that proudly espouses deep respect for the rule of law, this element is essential. Fortunately, there are real-world examples that we can look to. Consider college football%u2019s Heisman Trophy, which is awarded annually to the athlete who is deemed to be the best player in that sport. Even in these very polarizing times, there is never a raging debate regarding the race or ethnicity of the winner. That is because the measures of success are clear (though the relative weighting of any given criterion isn%u2019t exact). There are biases based upon geography or conference affiliation, but those tend to be minor and non-controversial. If college football can figure out what merit means, so can the rest of the nation.Here%u2019s to ushering in a new era of meritocracy in America!By GREG STOWERSIndianapolis may not always be the first city that comes to mind when discussing rising Black leaders, but that%u2019s exactly why it deserves attention. What%u2019s happening here isn%u2019t about chasing overused buzzwords like %u201cBlack excellence,%u201d which, while celebratory, can sometimes feel limiting or hollow without clear meaning. Instead, it%u2019s about Black possibility %u2014 the kind of possibility that builds on the past and present work of Black business leaders, community advocates, elected officials, and everyday change-makers to cultivate a powerful shift in mindset. With nearly 30% of Indianapolis residents identifying as Black, our community represents a significant force in shaping the city%u2019s culture, economy and future leadership. Yet, Black households in Indianapolis have a median income of $33,000 %u2014 less than half that of white households %u2014 underscoring the urgent need to address economic inequities while building on the momentum of progress.For me, this progress feels personal. My story begins with my grandparents, whose journeys laid the foundation for the values I carry today. On one side, they were part of the second wave of the Great Migration, leaving Mississippi and the oppression of the Jim Crow South, in search of opportunity and a better life. On the other side, they graduated from Crispus Attucks High School, a powerful symbol of Black achievement and resilience here in Indianapolis. Whether I%u2019m driving through Butler-Tarkington, where they once lived, or reflecting on lessons passed down by my parents, their legacy feels alive %u2014 a constant reminder that progress is built on persistence and purpose. Their struggles were not just personal but emblematic of a larger narrative, one that continues to shape the paths of those who came after them.The complexity of this American experiment %u2014 the ongoing struggle to reconcile its ideals of freedom and equality with the lived realities of marginalized communities %u2014 has never surprised me or us. Steps toward addressing the realities faced by marginalized communities are often met with loud resistance from those with blind spots or limited experiences with Black people beyond what they see on their screens %u2014 despite a documented and easily Googleable history. For this new generation of Black professionals, though, that resistance is nothing new. We were raised in its shadow. Many of us grew up hearing, %u201cYou%u2019ve got to work twice as hard,%u201d a constant reminder of the invisible load we carried %u2014 the burden of existing in spaces that weren%u2019t designed for us. We watched our mothers and fathers %u2014 and our friends%u2019 mothers and fathers %u2014 linger in doorways, their voices steady but their eyes heavy with worry, reminding us to be safe. Their words held a weight that made us reconsider the shortcuts we might take home, the hoodies we%u2019d pull over our heads, or the music we%u2019d play too loud at a stoplight. It was the kind of caution that clung to us like a second skin, a quiet but constant presence shaping how we moved through the world.That constant awareness has shaped how we approach the world today. We move with a remarkable sense of intentionality, balancing the weight of expectations with a commitment to remaining true to ourselves.Indianapolis offers a unique perspective, though %u2014 a city where history intersects with hustle, where progress is forged in the tension between tradition and innovation, and where the challenges of the past fuel the drive to reimagine the future. Titles aren%u2019t the end goal %u2014 they%u2019re simply a byproduct of meaningful work and genuine relationships. The focus is shifting to what we do, not what we are. And what we%u2019re doing is reimagining what possibility and impact look like for our city.While networking up is valuable, networking across shapes the future. By connecting with peers, we foster ecosystems of shared purpose that amplify impact. By fostering connections with peers and collaborators, we%u2019re creating ecosystems of shared purpose that amplify collective impact. We%u2019re working across industries, disciplines, and peer groups, creating opportunities that benefit everyone involved. It%u2019s not just about occupying rooms where decisions are made but creating our own room and reshaping those spaces to welcome others. Breaking ceilings is important, but opening doors is transformative.And while Indianapolis remains a work in progress, I see a rising generation of younger leaders proving that progress isn%u2019t just possible %u2014 it%u2019s within reach. We%u2019re following the playbook of previous generations, honoring the foundation that was built, while finding ways to write a new one %u2014 infused with innovation and a spirit of awareness that reflects the challenges and opportunities of today. From advocating for equitable housing policies to building mentorship pipelines, we%u2019re bringing strategic approaches to complex problems %u2014 solutions that call for people across industries and communities to step up.While progress is being made, there%u2019s still work to be done and challenges to confront. Real change means addressing systemic barriers, having tough conversations, showing up and committing to the kind of sustained effort that doesn%u2019t yield immediate results but creates lasting impact.Whether you%u2019re a business leader, community advocate, or simply someone passionate about equity, there are countless ways to make a meaningful impact. Support Black-owned businesses, mentor the next generation, advocate for equitable policies, and get involved in initiatives that close gaps in education, housing, and opportunity. This work isn%u2019t just vital for Indianapolis %u2014 it%u2019s a blueprint for cities everywhere. Progress isn%u2019t easy, but it%u2019s essential. Together, we can create spaces where innovation thrives, networks flourish, and doors open wide for those shaping the future. Let%u2019s transform possibility into reality, one challenge at a time.Do tellAll the DEI haters were elected, now what do we do?Reimaging Black possibility