Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 22 July 1995 — Page 2
PAGE A2
THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER
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EDtrOWflli Is it too late to save Indiana Avenue? Indiana Avenue the historic home of The Indianapolis Recorder and numerous other African American businesses and the site of the earliest local African American neighborhood has all but, vanished. All that remains is the Walker Building and Lockefield Gardens which of course was built many years after the Walker Building. At one point during the 1970s, a community owned supermarket called “Our Market” was developed as a community resource and as an experiment in economic development. But by then much of the population had moved away and there were very few customers left to shop at Our Market. It was eventually tom down and the land now sits vacant. During the early 1980s after much debate over the future of Lockefield Gardens, a plan was approved that included provisions for not only the partial rehabilitation of some of the original Lockefield Gardens buildings but more importantly a set of design standards was established so that the redevelopment of the neighborhood would occur in an orderly and historically relevant fashion. In addition, a community development corporation was established with the backing and support of the local neighborhood organization M.E.D.I.C. The new organization was called B.O.S. Inc. What has happened to these groups? Many if not all of the early plans have been forgotten. In fact, Indiana Avenue seems destined to become a nondescript collection of miscellaneous buildings which have no historical relevance and certainly nothing that comes close to the architectural significance of the Walker Building. In fact, when a professional nursing association built its national headquarters across the street from the Walker Building, it was built with the rear of its building facing Indiana Avenue and the historic Walker Building. This group literally and symbolically turned its back on the history of the African American community and on one of the few Indianapolis landmarks which is listed on the National Register of Historic places. The placement of this building remains as an insult to our community. While on the other end of Indiana Avenue stands another tribute to the legacy of the African American community, a Taco Bell restaurant. In our opinion these two examples reflect an utter disregard for any logical design standards and they have begun to march the Avenue toward just being another commercial strip in a town which has hundreds of these homely little developments. Over the next few weeks the staff of The Recorder is going to try to find out what went wrong on Indiana Avenue and we will seek to determine if there is any hope left for bringing back some character and relevance to this “Street” of legend and song. We will also be trying to determine what happened to some of the African American owners of Avenue property and we will get input from area residents and others concerning their views on the Avenue and its current state. We are not happy with what appears to be the future of our Historical home and we wonder how others feel about it. Read about it in the weeks to come in your Indianapolis Recorder.
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More proposed budget cuts that affect you
Last week 1 began to share the list of programs which will be cut in the budget proposed by the Republicans in Congress. It is an awesome list, which only begins with cuts in Aid Families with Dependent Children. The very nature of our society will be changed if all these cuts take effect. Read now the rest of the cuts proposed - cuts which include job training programs, education, housing and health. Programs eliminated (continuation) Teacher Corps, National Science Scholars, Douglas Teacher Scholarships, Harris Fellowships, Graduate Assistance in Areas of Natural Need, Howard University Academic Program, Howard University Research, Research (Education) Star Schools, Telecommunications Demo for Mathematics,Women and Minority Participation in Graduate Educational National Academy of Science, Space and Technology, Olympic Scholarships, Javits Fellowihips, Howard University Endowment Program, Howard University Hospital, Howard University Construction, Educational Techlology (3 programs,) Fund for the Improvenent of Education, Javits Gifted and Talented Education, Eisenhower Regional Consortium, National Writing Project, International Eduction Exchange, Territorial Teacher Trainng. Public Library Services Indian and Native Hawaiian Set-Aside, Interlibrary Cooperation State Grants, Library Literacy Programs, Library Education and Training, Research Libraries, Migrant Education-High School Equivalency Program, Adult Education-State
Grants, Adult Migrant Farmworkers & Immigrants’ Education-Na-tional Program, Tribal Basic State Programs, State Programs & Activities, Single Parents, Homemakers, Single Pregnant Women, Sex Equity, Criminal Offenders, Indian and Ha-
waiian Natives, Cooperative Demonstrations, Consumer and Homemaker Education, Demonstration Centers for Training of Dislocated Workers, School-to-Work National Programs, Workplace Literacy, State Literacy Resource Centers, Youthbuild, National Diffusion Network, 21 st Century Community Learning Centers, Civics Education, Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teaching, Public Library Services State Grants, Public Library Construction State Grants, Interlibrary Cooperative Indian and Native Hawaiian SetAside, College Library Technology, Research and Demonstrations, Indian Education-Adult Education, Migrant Education-College Assistance Migrant Program, Adult Education - Homeless, Vocational Education-Demo Projects, Federal Correctional Institutions, Career Guidance & Counseling, Blue Ribbon Programs, Regional Training for Skilled Trades, Business/Education/Labor Partnerships, Tribal Postsecondary Institutions, Tribal Economic Development, Community Based
Organizations, Bilingual Vocational Training, Tech Prep Education, School-to-Work Opportunities State Grants and Local Partnerships, Literacy for Incarcerated Adults, Library Literacy, Indian Employment Assistance, JTPA IIA-Disad-vantaged Adults, State Education Programs, Incentive Grants, Training for Older Individuals, Disadvantage Youth, Incentive Grants, VAA-Disclocated Workers, Dislo-
cated Workers-Govemors’ Discretionary, Dislocated Workers-Secretary’s Discretionary, Senior Community Service Employment Program, Employment Service Wagner Peyser, State Grants, Employment Service Coordinators, Local Veterans Employment Representative Program, Job Training for the Homeless Demo Project, Innovative Homeless Initiative, Homeless Assistance Grants, Supplemental Assistance for Facilities to Assist homeless, HOME, Housing for the Elderly, National Homeownership Trust, End FHA Multifamily Mortgage Insurance, End Corporate Welfare In Preservation Program, StopWasteful Rehabiliation Programs, Eliminate Housing Counseling Program, JTPA IIB - training for Disadvantage, Summer Youth Employment & Training, Summer Youth Employment and Training (Native Americans) JTPA IIC- Disadvantaged Youth, Disadvantage Youth-Incen-tive Grants, Disadvantage Youth State Education Programs, JTPA- Defense, Defense Diversification, Clean Air Employment Transition Assistance, Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers, Employment & Training Research & Development, Conversion Adjustment Program, Employment Services and Job Training Pilot and Demonstration Programs, Veterans Employment Program, Native American Employment & Training Program, Interstate Job Bank, Youth Fair Chance, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program, Homeless Veterans Reintegration Project-McKenney, HOPWA, Supportive Housing, Emergency Shelter Grants, Community Development Block Grant, Housing for the Disabled, HOPE Grants, Indian Housing Loan Guarantees, Transfer FDIC Affordable Housing Responsibilities, Eliminate Community Development Financial Institutions, Transfer Lead Based Paint Abatement Responsibilities to EPA, End Youth Sports Program, Congregate Services, End New Public Housing Construction, Special Purpose Grants and Family
Investment Centers.
The following programs are incorporated into the welfare reform package; Aid Families With Dependent Children Title IV, Social Security Foster Care Assistance AFDC JOBS, AFDC Emergency Assistance, Family Preservation & Support, Title IV-B Training, Independent Living, Adoption Assistance and Title
IV-B Research.
In a related move, Senator Jesse Helms is also calling for an end to the Ryan White funds allocated by the federal government for AIDS programs. Senator Helms argument is that these programs help people he calls deviants. Senator Helms must be unaware that AIDS is a disease of all Americans, including babies, heterosexuals and hemophiliacs (Ryan White for whom these monies was named, was the teenaged hemophiliac who died from AIDS several years ago.) If you want to save federal dollars for AIDS programs, write, fax, or call your Senator immediately to voice your support for Ryan
white funds.
(Write - U.S. Senate, Washington, DC20510 or call (202)224-3121.
Gvil
Rights Journal
By MRNKf
POWIU JACKSON
ij
Urban League partners in inner-city project
There’s a huge void in the lives of inner-city teen-agers which, tragically is being filled by gangs. Do you realize that during the 1980s, spending on prison construction soared by 612 percent. Meanwhile, society disinvested in the very programs - settlement houses, after-school activities and park recreation facilities - that keep young people off the streets, out of the clutches of gangs and in the hands of adults who genuinely care that they do well. Amazingly enough, politicians label these initiative social programs or worse “pork.” This is an outrage, because it shows how oblivious they are to reality. I believe that we must be tough on crime. But given how tight things are financially these days, we’ve also got tobe smart about curbing crime. Prevention-oriented youth development programs may be among the most cost-effective ways of combating crime. Mayor Bob Lanier of Houston told me recently that with the reopening of park-rec facilities in the evenings, violent youth crime in inner-city neighborhoods has declined sharply. Mayor Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City testifies that on the nights when midnight basketball is on the crime rate plummets by 25
percent. This is why I’ve called on our U rban League movement to mount a campaign to place caring adults regularly in the lives of inner-city adolescents. I know that those of us who have made it, thanks to the civil rights movement, can afford $250, $500 or more per year. We ’ll aim this program at young professionals who are doing well but don’t yet have heavy family obligations. And at my generation. I call us the post-college tuition, pre-AARP generation. There’s a window of a few years when we have some disposable cash to spare and wouldn’t miss $500 or so after all those tuition payments. I’ve been working with the National Guard for the past fiy0^ years. They’re created a terrific program for dropouts, called the National Guard Youth Challenge
Corps. The youngsters live on a think tank, the Center for Strategic military base for six months. and International Studies, to They take GED preparation inventory all the tangible and courses, as well as participate in intangible assets of the military community service. that might be helpful in addressing The guard is getting some the problems of inner-city amazing results from this program, youngsters, which operates in 15 states. Finally, have you ever thought Imagine designing a school for about the fact that the U.S. Military disinterestedstudentswhichdraws is the world’s biggest and best heavily on what the military knows organized “gang?” Imagine how about fat-track learning, ranks and wonderful it would be if we could rewards, service and mission, tap all ofthat expertise, to organize purpose and planning, team- “community service” gangs that building and pride. give kids an alternative to the I’m pleased to report that lawless and violent gangs that now National Urban League is lure them, partnering with a defense policy
Jesse Helms says Aids is the result of...
deliberate, disgusting, revolting conduct.
If that were true...
...wouldn't he have it?..