My “Black Agenda”
Does Indianapolis’ Black Community need an agenda? There seems to be a growing chorus that the answer is “yes.”
During the IBJ/Indy Chamber’s post-Mayoral debate news conferences this week, both incumbent Democrat Joe Hogsett and Republican challenger Jim Merritt were asked if they will have a “black agenda” should they be in office come Jan 1? Merritt said, yes. Hogsett said no. However, in fairness to Hogsett, he also added that African-Americans should benefit from the plans his administration already has on the table.
In the past, some groups have attempted to outline a “black agenda.” The African American Coalition of Indianapolis, a collective of various black organizations, has reportedly put together a proposal and the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus at the start of every session outlines an agenda as well. And you can now add me to the list.
My agenda is based, in part, on a recent poll conducted for Indy Politics by Mason Strategies. We surveyed several issues, crime, education, infrastructure, etc., and the responses given by African-Americans. And also embedded these suggestions is my firm belief that if you empower individuals to take control of their own destinies, you will get a much better result for society overall.
So with that said, here are a few items from my “agenda”…
