Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 6 October 1990 — Page 4

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THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER * SAHKPAV, OCIt»E*M**>

By KIM L. HOOPER ceived by many critics as racist Wood, IPS has not been declared Staff Writer ’It’s separate but equal. The unitary because no one has filed a 1981 desegregation order was the motion. Unitary means that school Maigree Oakley, along with the most sophisticated plan to sepa- populations are integrated. Parents County-Wide School Net- rate the kids from the community "Nothing’s been filed regardwork, believe one-way busing is and send them to unequal areas ing the maimer in which students not working in Marion County and and it’s all done by busing. What are assigned to local schools,” said want the Judge who mdered it to makes no sense is that diere is no Wood, remove himself from the lawsuit initiative on this school board to Still, critics say busing is not the The parents’ group recently reverse car address it” said IPS answer to fighting discrimination submitted a written proposal to bored member, Thomas L. Brown, and that the quality of instruction U.S. District Court Judge S. Hugh Almost 7,000 students, mostly isnobetterinthetownshipschools Dillin. asking him to "take a judi- African-American, are bused out than in 0%. dal and humanitarian approach in of IPS a year. "We have to ask ourselves is it helping us to resolve or rectify Unlike the lawsuit involving the the kids or is it the system? The these problems.’' Oklahoma City School Board, IPS quality cannot be any better in one hi 1973-74, Dillin ordered IPS is still under a permanent federal system or another because all of to begin busing in an effort to injunction that allows the judidal the teachers are certified by the desegregate the city’s public system to govern the school sys- same body,” Brown said, schools, hi 1981, he ordered one- tem. According to law,. IPS must Oakley, who has a son in the way busing of African-American continue to bus students until "all Perry Township School System, IPS students outside of IPS to vestiges of discrimination and doesn’t see any benefit from onedesegregate the six township pub- segregation are eliminated.” way busing. “The same problems lie schools systems, a move per- According to IPS attorney John we had 10 years ago are the same

SCHOOLS Continued from Page A1

in the system. "The neighborhood schools are American students have benefited "There’s a perception that the again totally segregated and infe- academically from the neighborbored of education created this but rior and we believe black students hood school plan and all students we did not, we’re following the are being short-changed. The nine have theoptionof transferring from initial (1972) Federal Court de- Dowell schools in tire black com- a majority school to one where the segregation order,” said Oklahoma munity were determined to be student would be a minority. City Public School Administrator worse than any comparable into- “The district provides transporRob Zienta, in an interview with grated Oklahoma City public tation to students who choose the The Recorder. He said 40 percent school,” sard Roosevelt Milton, majority-minority transfer option. ofOklahoma City’s public school president of the local NAACP idon’tbelieveablackstudentneeds enrollment is African American, chapter. to sit next to a white student to Currently, there are nine According to school board leamorviccversa."hecommented. "Dowell” case schools with 90 administrator Zienta, die Oklapercent or more African-Ameri- homa City lawsuit was reopened can student enrollment Dowell bytheschoolboardtogetapetma-

problems we face today. I have formed after the 1981 court order, declared unitary. Smith said, worked with the desegregation “Our mission is to ensure chUdren Somecriticsofliiebttsingonler board for the last eight years and I are provided with equitable educa- say while lawmakers created know what’s going on. They spent tional opportunities and access to UniGov, there was an intentional 36 million dollars to bus kids out educational opportunities without effiat not to oonaolidale die seven of IPS, that was money that could overt and covert discrimination,” acfiodl systems. Said Biown, *At have been used to fund projects in said William A. Smith, executive least in Oklahoma City they have IPS,’’ she said. director of CDAC. an option. In Indianapolis, you Oakley has worked with the Because die case is still open, don’thaveanoptfamifyou’reblack Community Desegregation Advi- any of the original participants can and poor.” sory Council, a body that was petition the court to have the case IRS Continued from Page At • )caer j 0158 - “The IRS is an equal opportunity result. When Patterson reports to work employer. It is not in anyone’s best Patterson has also contacted the with her tape recorder visible, she is interest to discuss the issue. We just IRS Whistleblowers, a group that not permitted to enter her assigned can’t, it’s die law.” monitors complaints involving IRS ofworkarea. She has also been counted Patterson’s history at the IRS has ficials and employees, as Absent Without Leave by her been Filled with problems. She was The Whistleblowers report that employer and has been informed that transferred from her office at 429 N. instances of harassment such as the since she has been AWOL, she will Pennsylvania Ave. to die Federal one involving Patterson are on the not be paid for the days die has not Building at575N. Pennsylvania Ave. increase nationwide and the organizabeen allowed to work. am) was assigned to that office be- tion reported that one white IRS ofFiPatterson has retained an attorney cause her supervisors described her cial in Kansas City made an Africanto try and block the IRS from with- presence in the office as “disruptive.” American employee get on his knees holding her wages. Patterson also alleges that efforts^ in the IRS office in front of all the other Carolyn Stumpf, public affairs of- get her fired based on charges that she employees and apologize to his white ficer, Indianapolis district of the IRS, directed anti-Semitic remarks at m- supervisor from a kneeling position, refused to comment directly on the other IRS employee are not true. after the supervisor had played a praccase involving Patterson but said, “I Patterson says, "People are men- tied joke on the African-American am familiar with Ms. Patterson’s alle- tally exhausted. Tliis is the third year employee, gations. The only thing we would say this has been going on for me. One The actions angered many of die about that, is the IRS has a very ag- employee quit six weeks ago as a re- employees in the office and they congressive policy on recruiting and hir- su |t 0 f the treatment she received on (acted IRS officials to lodge formal ing all minorities. the job.” complaints. The IRS official who “A very thorough program of up- Gerald Wendel, chief of the Indian- forced die African-American onward mobility exists where we hire apolis AppealsOffice.refused to speak ployee to give him an apology while minority individuals and provide them to TTu/fccorderand had Stumpf speak the employee was on his knees was not opportunity to do different types of on his behalf, but Patterson alleges fired, but was transferred to another work and expand their work experi- that Wendel has physically assaulted IRS office, ence so they have opportunity for her and she has filed suit with the promotion. Indianapolis Police Department as a

schools are considered ones that had been predominantly white, but were desegregated as a result of

the court order.

There are no schools in Oklahoma City with 90 percent or more white student enroUment, one fact that caused the Oklahoma City NAACP Legal Defense Fund to file suit against the neighborhood plan and appeal the case to the 1 Oth Circuit Court of Appeals, which reversed Bohanon’s decision that declared the schools were all inte-

grated or unitary.

nent decision. ‘The key question is what does it take to return control of a school system from die federal courts back to the local community,” he ex-

plained.

"The American Association of! School Administrators, the Council of the Great City Schools and the National Association of Secondary School Principals have also filed amicus briefs in this case in order to get a clearer definition of unitary status,” he said. Zienta claims that African-

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Grambling, La. and die Alabama A&M University Bulldogs from Normal, Ala. The Gassic weekend will feature a Black College Fair at the St. Peter Gaver Center, 3110 Sutherland Ave. on Thursday, Oct 4. The event is sponsored by the Indianapolis Black Alumni Council. Also on Thursday, Fitzgerald’s in Union Station will host a" Video Soul” promotion party beginning at 9 p.m. On Friday, Oct 5 the Circle City Gassic Coaches Luncheon will be held at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. Both Grambling Coach Eddie Robinson and Alabama A&M Coach George Pugh are scheduled to appear. The evening will be highlighted by a Gassic Matinee, held by Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity at Faces nightclub, followed by “ A Pink and Green Thing,” presented by the Kappa chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority at the White River Ballroom of the Indianapolis Convention Center. Black Entertainment Television’s “Video Soul Live” with Gub Coca Cola will broadcast live from die Indianapolis Convention Center and HoosierDome, Halls D and E. BET’s Donnie Simpson will host the program which broadcasts nationwide from 8 until 10 p.m. The event starts at 7 p.m. and lasts until 12:30 a.m. The Circle Gty Gassic Gala is also scheduled for Friday and lasts from 7 until 11 p.m. at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. This Mack tie affair will feature a “South of the Border” theme. The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity will also host a Gala Dance at The ' West End from 10 p.m. until 2:30 a.m., the proceeds from this semiformal dance will go to die Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Scholarship for Scholars Financial Aid fund. On Saturday, Oct 6 in addition tothe football game, Indiana Black Expo will host the IBE Golf Tournamert at Coffin Golf Course,2209 W. 30th St. The tournament has a

7:30 a.m shotgun start. Grcle City Gassic Parade which begins at noon downtown. Ben Vereen, noted actor and dancer will serve as Grand Marshall. In all, there will be over 90 units including floats, bands from Grambling State University and Alabama A&M University and local high schools, celebrities, Shriners and much more. The parade starts at Pennsylvania and North streets. There will be an Alumni Tailgate party at Fitzgerald’s in Union Station from noon until 3:30 p.m. From 1:30 p.m. until 3:45 and again from 7:30 p.m. until midnight, experience Plaza Fest featuring “A Taste of Indiana” at the Pan American Plaza. At 4 p.m. all of the pregame festivities stop and the game begins. Defending Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Champions Alabama A&M will take on Grambling State University from the Southwestern Athletic Conference at the Hoosier Dome. And if all the pregame celebrations and the game itself were not! enough, the post game party begins immediately after the game with the Battle of the Bands. There will also be a “Hip Hop Slam Jam Defest Dance Young Adult Throwdown At The Gassic featuring a Greek Stepdown *90” at the Pan American Plaza ice rink from 8:30 p.m until 1:30 a.m. There will be a "Post-Game Blues Jazz and Barbeque Cabaret" in Halls D and E of the Indiana Convention Center, adjacent to the Hoosier Dome. Both schools will hold victory celebrations, Alabama A&M will hold a victory celebration at the Omni-Severin Hotel Downtown. Grambling State University will hold their victory celebration at the Hyatt Regency Mountain Suites. Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity will hold a “Gassic Extravaganza” at the St Peter Gaver Center starting at 9:30 p.m.

Thursday s Child

For over ten years, News Center 13 has been building families one Thursday at a time. Watch Kim Flood's special reports, each week at five o'clock.

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