Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 2 July 1999 — Page 2

PAGE A2

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, JULY 2,1999

‘Black Indianapolis’ announces RIM initiative Continued from A1

process to gain information on ; which issues are deemed most prevalent to that area. The poll, ; which is being conducted by Blackburn Group, Inc., is a scientific process that is currently using ; various tactics to gamer informa- • tion on several Black issues that • are of a community-wide concern. Once the information is pro- ; cessed and delivered, convenors | said they plan to take community ' concerns to candidates to see ex- ; actly how they stand on the issues. ! Said Ajabu, RIM will increase voter i turnout significantly for that rea- '• son. • “When we ask those candidates about the issues that are dear to our people, we then will share them to our people,” Ajabu said. “Once we show where the candidates stand, 1 then it will be clear what candiI dates we should support.” Although RIM is hoping to reach as many African Americans as feasible, the initiative has targeted young people between the ages of 18 - 25 to not only vote, but become vocal proponents of the pro- : cess. Ajabu reported that since RIM ‘ began, the search for “young soldiers” has not been as tedious as anticipated. In fact, many young

people have initiated contact themselves. “We’ve had tremendous response,” Ajabu said. “People have been asking what took us so long. All the people have come together and have said it’s time to change things. “The leadership has gotten organized, now it’s time to mobilize the rank in file,” Ajabu continued. “We will see in the numbers that one vote is going to make a difference.” A project unique in its intricacies, the State of Black Indianapolis agenda has achieved a degree of success by combining several of its committees to work on a specific problem. And in keeping with that theme, RIM was delivered in conjunction with the political report, given by City-County Councillor Ron Franklin. Additionally, convenors announced the agenda will be present during the Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration with a booth and national speakers on hand to support the local effort. Both the RIM initiative and the continuing poll have taken their places in a project that has been active in the community since its

announcement. The agenda has, since February, covered a wealth of education, heath and housing issues in the effort to treat the symptoms plaguing the entire community. Additionally, several reports continue to be delivered, adding yet another issue to their overall focus. That abundance of issues, according to Elder Lionel Rush, is the very essence of the agenda’s vitality. It is also why local leaders have not responded to the agenda’s critics to this point. “We cannot dictate the di versity and the level of the suffering of Black people,” said Rush, whoconceived the agenda with Congresswoman Julia Carson. “We must respond to the Black community holistically. We have all of these problems at the same time and each problem is intense at the same time. Each of these problems can kill us, so, what are we to do? “We’re doctors, the patient is hurt critically in all these areas,” Rush added. “We cannot be criticized for taking these approaches, we’re dealing with 400 plus years of being treated as second-class citizens.” According to Rush, several crit-

State of Black Indianapolis facilitators havt come under fir* of late. Critics | of the agenda have asserted addressing so many issues is counterproductive and far reaching. Agenda supporters, however, believe no issue should be left unaddressed. > (Recorder photo by Curtia Guynn)

ics of the agenda are from areas stacle to overcome: that of dissen- “Those that criticize are part of the

which are in less need. In fact, he tion with the people the State of problem.”

added that he has only heard criti- Black Indianapolis is designed to RIM officials are asking for cism of the agenda from people in help. To avoid that stigma, Rush parties interested in helping explmore affluent areas; however, a said, the agenda’s facilitators must dite the process to call 466-9220. significant faction of those critics continue to ignore those that have The next State of Black Indianapoare African Americans. called for its conclusion. /if meeting will occur after the IBE Being that is the case, Rush and “We’re not interested in those Summer Celebration,

the agenda have yet another ob- that have criticized us,” he said.

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