Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 29 December 2000 — Page 8

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THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29,2000'

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OPINION

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Tfee Black vote and the 2000 election

By NORMAN HILL

, ,, More than a month after Election Day, and following a roller coaster ride of sudden ups and downs, George Bush finally emerged as the victor in the presidential race. He lost the popular vote nationally, and may have lost the crucial

popular vote in Florida, too.

.. / But Bush did win, by a single vote, a U.S. Supreme Court decision that prevented a hand recount of Florida’s ballots. That left Bush with a margin of less than 600 votes, wafer . thin but enough to cany him into the White House. Throughout the campaign, trade unionists and African Americans were aware that Bush’s anti-union, anti-civil rights agenda threaten to roll back hard-fought gains made through the Black-labor alliance’s struggle for economic juid social justice. That’s why Black voters gave Bush only 9 percent of their ballots, even less than the 12 percent that the last Republican presidential candidate. Bob Dole, cap-

lured in 1996.

^ But does the outcome of the presidential contest mean that union members and African Americans wasted their time going to the polls? It does not by any stretch of the , imagination. If they had not voted. Bush would have won by a significant majority, giving him a mandate to go full steam ,, ahead with his huge tax cut for the wealthy, his Social ,\ t Security privatization scheme, his anti-affirmative action

views, and his other retrograde policies.

As it is, his minuscule victory will force him to offer some resistance to the most extreme right-wing elements of his party and perhaps to finally give some substance to the

concept of “compassionate conservatism.”

There’s another reason why Bush will be hard-pressed to push through his campaign agenda. It’s because pro-union, pro-civil rights forces made significant gains in Congress. In the House of Representatives, voters have been cutting the radical-right majority since 1996. That trend continued this year as the right-wing margin was sliced from eight to five. That means a switch of only three votes is needed to halt . .the legislative machine of Dick Armey, Tom Delay, and

_ >-their reactionary colleagues.

More important gains were acWCT»etilnihe»Senate. where the forces backing economic justice and racial equality took

six seats from the reactionary right.

’ The right wing captured two seats previously held by

_ progressives, giving the latter a net gain of our seats. This ~ creates a SO/SO tie in the upper house of Congress. It is true

that Vice President Dick Cheney, as president of the Senate, will be able to break a tie in that chamber. But a shift of just one senator to the progressive side on any given vote can cseate a majority that is beyond Cheney’s reach.

•», _ i*l * * Black voters are the group that votes most heavily for $ ^progressive candidates, and in any of those states, 5f5Gtican-American ballots made the difference in the presi-

dential race.

. In all six states where a Senate seat shifted from the right-wing to the progressive column, the A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) had a voter participation program. In all of v . these states except Minnesota, the Black vote was decisive. ' * v * w two of these states, the African-American vote increased tantially as a proportion of the total vote compared to T$96: from 10 percent four years ago to 16 percent this year in Florida, and from S percent to 12 percent in Missouri. Finally, the African-American vote enabled progressives to hold onto open Senate seats in New York, where Hillary Clinton beat Rick Lazio, and New Jersey, where Jon Corzine edged Bob Franks. In both states, the APRI was there,

turning out the Black vote.

Our final word on the Election 2000 is this: reactionaries ^ beware, because we at the APRI are determined that this ' year’s election, far from discouraging us, will instead motivate us to work just that much harder in future elections. We ~ iw recognize more than ever that an extra effort, an extra as we drive toward the finish line, can mean so much, e will be applying that lesson in 2002,2004, and far into

future.

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The A. Philip Randolph Institute is and organization of £ Black trade unionists established to fightfor racial equality

$\sO<and economic justice.

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INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER DIRECTORY

Eunk* Trottar WIMm Q. May*

(317) 924 5143 ws Hollinc (3 17) 290 4744

Taking a last look at the year 2000

I’ll leave it to historians to decide the ultimate significance of this year 2000, but it was obvious that this year was significant for Indianapolis and our AfricanAmerican community. This was the first year since 1967 that Democrats controlled city-county government. After eight years of Mayor Steve Goldsmith’s frenetic innovation, privatization and financial smoke and mirrors, Democratic Mayor Bart Peterson brought calm to Indianapolis’ government. Republicans complain that the Peterson administrationhasbeen boring, but after eight years of Goldsmithism that’s what our city-county needed. Goldsmith’s reign featured divisive fights about IPS, public education, privatization, race relations, and city employee relations. But under Mayor Peterson, the city has adopted a tone of respect and civility. The divisive fights between African-American leadership and Goldsmith have been replaced by a warm working relationship with a mayor who’s willing to listen and work with our community. Mayor Peterson settled the Michael Taylor civil case, bringing some closure to a contentious chapter in our community. Mayor Peterson diversified the top ranks of government, appointing more African Americans to top positions than ever before. On diversity, our community celebrated several firsts. Vicki Bailey was named CEO of Indiana’s largest utility PSI/ Cinergy; Karen Freeman-Wilson, the second Black Indiana Attorney General, three more Blacks on the Superior Court bench, Isiah Thomas coaching our Pacers and Mike Davis with the Herculean task of replacing Bob Knight at Indiana. Meanwhile, 2000 was the year when Indianapolis ceased to be a

rock-ribbed Republican redoubt After near total control of citycounty government, the GOP found themselves without the mayoralty, the council at large seats and with a precarious one-seat margin on the City-County Council. During2000, Republicans were involved in numerous embarrassing miscues, several involving once powerful Sheriff Jack Cottey. In March, Cottey allegedly insulted the party’s most visible Black Republican, Jackie Cissell, at a St. Patrick’s Day bash. Then after a Channel 13exposd, Sheriff Cottey turned into die invisible lawman, refusing to speak or appear anywhere where local media was present. The GOP eviscerated longtime county chair John Sweezy, and lost control of two key township boards and six additional seats in two other townships. Indianapolis’ once powerful business community continued to lose clout as more major companies were acquired by out of town owners. Indianapolis Power and Light was acquired by huge power conglomerate AES, which is dismissing IPALCO’s top executives, including one of this city’s top African-American businessmen, former Deputy Mayor Joe Slash. But the biggest shocker was die Pulliam family selling the Indianapolis Star and its sister newspapers to media conglomerate Gannett. Gannett’s purchase of the Star brought a noticeable decline in the quality of the Star’s journalism as numerous veteran reporters took early retirements. Though Gannett hired the first African-American top executive ever at the Star, Calvin Stovall, who became managing editor in October, the newspaper’s coverage of our Black community continues to be seriously superficial.

Among the major TV stations, WTHR/Channel 13 broke away from the pack widi the most Afri-can-American on-air anchors and reporters, led by chief weatherman Chris Wright and anchor Andrea Moorehead, though they lag in having African Americans in key off-air management positions. In contrast WRTV/Channel 6 hired an inexperienced, untrained white to anchor their Saturday morning news, solely because he was a WIBC(AM) DJ. Thus making a lie the excuse Channel 6 and other stations give for not hiring Blacks (we only hire people with experience)! This year saw major changes at the city’s Black media. WPZZ(FM) stopped serving our community after more than a decade. Recorder Publisher Bill Mays and his partner, broadcast entrepreneur Bill Shirk, sold their radio/TV empire to Washingtonbased Radio One, the country’s largest African-American owned broadcasting company. Though WHHH/Hoosier 96; WBKS/Kiss 106.7; WYJZ Jazz Y100.9 and WAV-TV/Channel 53 remain Black-owned, the sale continued the pattern of Indianapolis companies acquired by out of town concerns. The biggest outrage was WTLC’s firing of longtime DJ, music director and former program director Vycki Buchanon; dismissed strictly because she was too old for WTLC’s increasingly

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youthful orientation. . Then there was Indiana Black Expo. What should have been n: reaxd setting30th anniversary was' instead a disaster as Expo’s attend dance continued a four-year de- J cline. This column exposed nU^ merous complaints of Expo’s mis-> * treatment of exhibitors, sponsor^' businesses and the public. However as 2000 ends, Expo’s, Board of Directors havetaken their heads out of the sand and are be-*-ginning to acknowledge their prob- , lems. The board’s rapidly moving' to hire a chief operating officer to bring order and business acumen to an organization wracked in chaos and disorganization! i’ The coming changes at Black' Expo in 2001 mirror the changesthat are required in Indianapolis i African-American communityt-' We must understand that India* napolis is undergoing profound,): some would say radical change. It’s time our Black organizations 1 and institutions adapt to those' changes. v This week, the first data fromthe 2000 Census will be released. As census data starts to come in,; cataloguing the changes that have occurred in our Black community,; we’ll realize we’ve become acom-i * munity increasingly estranged* from its Center Township roots.> Increasingly Blacks live in intee>' grated and white-majority neighs, borhoods. We’re becoming a Black* I community divided by income and education, defined by whether i we’re living on the edge or living, large. In the coming New Year 2001? > Indianapolis’ political, civic and business leadership must adapt to,) the changing face of Indianapolis^ and the political, civic, religious^ and business leadership of our^ African-American community must adapt to the changing face of» our Black community. ,ki As our community faces these, new challenges, we do so withoutq the wisdom and counsel of the j lions who left us in 2000 — religious leaders Bishop Morris Colder and Dr. Wayne T. Harris, educator Dr. Joseph Taylor, businessmen Walter Blackburn Lannie H. Smith, attorney 7c Preston Ward, inventor Mark Wif Hams and my blue-eyed soul brother columnist Harrisoft Ullman. •' > Next week, to begin aNew Year, I’ll outline how the leadership of our Black community must adapt to the new Indianapolis. Happy New Year. See ‘ya next week! rf, Amos Brown’s opinions are not necessarily those of The India-* napolis Recorder. You can cori' tact him at (317) 293-9600 or e--' mail him at [email protected].

A crooner whose song many Blacks despise

John Ashcroft has gotten modest raves for his singing and songwriting talent. But George W. Bush didn’t tap turn as his attorney general because of his musical virtuos-

ity.

The ex-Missouri governor and senator who has every earmark of being the most unabashedly ideological attorney general since President Reagan picked hard-liner, Ed Meese to boss the Justice Depart-

rights enforcement — hate crimes, police violence, the death penalty, and judicial

appointments.

Under severe pain of a federal takeover, the Civil Rights Division, under Attorney General Janet Reno, wrung consent decrees from kicking and

ment during the 1980s, was tapped because screaming city officials in Pittsburgh and Los he’s the perfect hatchet man on civil rights Angeles. The aim was to rein in the corrupt and enforcement. brutal police practices rampant in their departAshcroft holds an honorary degree from meats. But Ashcroft is more likely to take the

racially-retrograde Bob Jones University, and cue from his boss on police reform,

has publicly praised Confederate generals Rob- During the campaign. Bush openly stated ert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and Confederate that it is not the job of the Justice Department to President Jefferson Davis. “second guess” local police agencies. He virtuIn die Senate, he launched a venomous era- ally lifted a page from Papa Bush’s script on the sade to scuttle the nomination of David Satcher, police. A decade earlier Bush Sr.’ s press secreClinton’s pick for surgeon general, under the tiny, Marlin Fitzwater, spoke for his boss when guise that Satcher supported a partial ban on he told reporters, “It’s not our role to comment

abortion. He lost that battle. on individual police departments.”

However, he nailed Missouri Supreme Court Little has changed since then. The number of Judge Ronnie White, Clinton’s choice for a police abuse complaints continues to rise nafederal judgeship, under the guise that White tionally, and federal prosecutors continue to coddled criminals and routinely overturned downplay them. According to a 1999 report on death sentences. Thesf were blatant falsehoods, police misconduct by Human Rights Watch, According to the Missouri Fraternal of Or- federal prosecutors brought excessive force der of Police, White’s record on die death charges against police officers in less than 1 penalty was no worse than other Ashcroft- percent of die cases investigated by the FBI appointed judges and there is no evidence he involving allegations of police abuse. Reno showed any pro-defendant bias on the state took tepid and tentative steps to deal with the court problem. Ashcroft probably won’t do that much. Ashcroft also fought hard to sabotage Bill In the Senate, Ashcroft opposed any expanLann Lee’s appointment to head the Justice sion of hate crimes laws. And Bush, despite Department’s Civil Rights Division. Lee’s sin garbled denials to the charge that he was soft on was drat he was too pro-affirmative action to hate crimes legislation leveled at him followsuit Ashcroft. ing the dragging murder by white supremacists AS Mtomey general Asbcrbft poses a mortal of James Bytd, (fid nodiing to stR^dien hate

threat in these hyper-charged areas of civil crime laws in Texas.

The overwhelming majority of prisoners currently awaiting federal execution are Black.' Ashcroft cheerleads the death penalty at every - turn. And Bush flatly states that he sees no need for a moratorium on federal executions, He almost certainly would not have granted*the six month stay that Clinton did to a federal inmate scheduled for execution pending re-«. view of the gaping racial disparities in the

federal death penalty.

A little known part of the attorney general’^, job is to advise the president on judicial nomi-, nations. When Clarence Thomas worked as an,, aide to Missouri Sen. John Danforth, Ashcroft, shared an office with him. He adores Thomas’,, strict constructionist judicial philosophy, and.j so does Bush. It’s no mystery then as to which judges Ashcroft will advise Bush to pick, o Two decades ago Reagan chose another,, right-wing ideologue, William Bradford^ Reynolds, to head the Civil Rights Division^, Reynolds giddily went about wrecking affir^, mative action programs, disdaining any crackdown (m hate crimes, and turning a blind eyq,. toward police violence. Bush’s Justice Depart-^ ment almost certainly will dash back to those,; lax and contentious days in civil rights em. , forcement. 10 The great irony to all of this is that Ashcroft ,, lost his re-election bid for the Senate mainly because Black voters in Missouri stampeded,, to the polls to punish him for his stone-age;^ stance on civil rights. m Civil rights groups will and should protest,, his nomination. But as a former member of th^ chummy Senate fraternity, he’ll likely be con- f j firmed. And mice in as attorney general he wil|, get his chance to wreak revenge. j,; Earl Ofari Hutchinson is the president of, the National Alliance far Positive Action. £- maiL’ [email protected] Website: