Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 10 January 2003 — Page 1

Preparing a conscious community today and beyond Spike Lee’s ‘25th Hour’ movie review. Page Cl

Volume 108 ■ Number 2 ■ Since 1895 ■ FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2003 ■ www.lndianapolisrecorder.com ■ Four Sections ■ 75C

New Year baby

Tamara Jones holds her new son Timothy Jones, the first African-American baby born in Marion County on New Year's Day. Little Timothy was due Jan. 9. He was born in Wishard Memorial Hospital at 5:30 a.m. and weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces and was 21 inches long. (Photo/C. Guynn)

BRIEFS

^Reparations Now* meeting Jan. 11 The National Council of Blacks for Reparations in America, Indianapolis Chapter, will have a general meeting Jan. 11 from 3-5 p.m. at Martin Luther King Multi-Service Center, 40 W. 40th St. For more information, call (317) 549-3166 or (317) 475-9617. Post office hours for MLK Day The United States Postal Service operations will be limited on Monday, Jan. 20, in observance of the Martin Luther King holiday. Postal operations in Indianapolis will be as follows: There will be no regular home delivery; however, postal employees will be delivering Express Mail items. There will be no retail window service at any United States Postal Service station or branch, except for the Park Fletcher Branch at 2760 Fortune Circle East. The Park Fletcher Branch operates 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. MLK Celebration The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Indiana Holiday Commission and Indiana Civil Rights Commission are having their 12"' Annual State Employees' Celebration. The theme of the Martin L. King Day of Service is, "A Day ON instead of a Day Off". The celebration will be held Friday, January 17 ,h from 12pm until 1pm at The Capitol Rotunda, 1 North Capital Ave. Grant to Indiana’s FCCLA chapters A $3,000 mini-grant as part of the national "Stop the Violence" program was announced by state Superintendent of Public Instruction Suellen Reed. The grant from the U.S. Department of Justice will extend the "Stop the Violence" program into 120 Indiana schools with local chapters of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). Dr. Reed said FCCLA chapters with more than 5,000 members in Indiana will use the money in creating new chapter ► See BRIEFS, Page A2 Got a hot nawi tip? Want to ba haard? If you would like to report any news or share your comments, csd the Recorder News Hotline It (317) 924-5143.

00099

Frank Anderson the new sheriff in town

Emancipation Day

Frank Anderson takes the oath of office as sheriff in ceremonies last week. Holding the Bible is his wife Mercedes as his fbther J.B. Anderson watches. (Photo/C. Guynn)

Lawman says making changes at Marion County Jail would be a top priority By AMOS BROWN III Recorder Correspondent Smartly dressed in his formal brown dress uniform, with white dress gloves and a shiny star on each shirt lapel and shoulder pad; and flanked by wife Indiana's first Black state trooper dies at 65 By ERICKA P. THOMPSON Staff Writer James L. Sears, the first Black to wear an Indiana State Police uniform has died at the age of 65. Sears paved the way and set standards for Blacks who desired to become state troopers. After 30 dedicated years, Sears retired with the rank of captain and returned to work at the Indiana Department of Motor Vehicles until 2000. After retirement. Sears graduated from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis and received a bachelor’s degree in sociology. He was an active member and past vice president of the Tuskegee Airmen and served on

Mercedes and father J.B., Frank J. Anderson placed his left hand on a fagiily Bible, raised his right hand and in a clear, strong voice took the oath from Federal Judge Sarah Evans Barker as the 55th sheriff of Marion County in’a public inauguration ceremony Saturday* at the Indiana Convention Center’s Sagamore Ballroom. The ceremony marked the end

of a history-making journey by Sheriff Anderson. During the campaign, little was made ofthe history’ that would be made if Anderson won. Yet his inauguration ceremony was the formal affirmation of that living Hoosier and African-American history - that Frank Anderson is now the first African American elected to a countywide office in Marion County history; and only the second African American elected a county sheriff in Indiana. ' Several thousand Anderson supporters, Marion County sheriffs deputies and employees, community leaders, politicians and members of the public attended the hour long inauguration, after which the new sheriff and his wife spent nearly an hour greeting members of his department, supporters and well wish-

ers.

Though Anderson had been privately sworn in when his term began at midnight New Year’s Day, the public oath of office was administered by Judge Barker, who worked with Sheriff Anderson when he served as United States marshal. Mayor Bart Peterson, who strongly supported Anderson’s history making candidacy, served as master of ceremonies for the inauguration. Mayor Peterson saluted Anderson saying Indianapolis “will be extraordinarily well served by Sheriff Anderson in Marion County’.” Congresswoman Julia Carson lauded the new sheriff saying his ► See FRANK, Page A2

Amos Brown III, columnist for The Recorder and Radio One personality, gives a political analysis during the 59 th Annual Emancipation Day Celebration on New Year's Day. Receiving Drum Major for Justice awards were Carolene Mays, president and general manager of The Recorder and newly elected state representative; Nathan Bluitt, owner of Williams & Bluitt Funeral Home; and new Marion County Sheriff Frank Anderson.

James L. Sears the Planner House of Indianapolis Foundation Board of Directors as secretary. Sears was a dedicated board member, supporter, and volunteer of Planner House and will be greatly missed. “Jim was committed to the mission of Planner House which is to help those in need," said Cynthia Diamond, executive director of Planner 1 louse. “He was committed in keeping Planner House open and rallied community leaders to ensure it remained open. We will miss Jim’s presence, support, experience, and wisdom the most." ’ Sears is survived by three broth- ► See TROOPER, Page A2

Guest speaker for the Emancipation Day Celebration was U.S. Rep. Julia Carson, D-Ind. She is shown with (left) Rev. Herbert Cater Jr., president of the Missionary Baptist Ministers’ Alliance, a sponsor, and (right) Dr. Fitzhugh L. Lyons Sr., president of the Interdenominational Ministers' Alliance, a sponsor. Christ Missionary Baptist Church also was a sponsor

of the event. (Photos, C. Guynn)

Freetown Village to show how Black man won important Indiana court case

By SHANNON WILLIAMS

Recorder Editor

to the 1850 Census was the wealthiest Black person in Indianapolis, was falsely accused of

After careful consideration, Freeman sued Ellington as well as Deputy Marshal John Robinson

Freetown Village lives up to being the runaway slave ofa white who forcibly removed Freeman’s its mission of educatingthe pub- Missouri man named Ellington, clothing, allowing Ellington and lie about African-American lives As Freeman’s attorneys worked others to “inspect" him. The case in early Indiana through its rec- tirelessly to prove his innocence, initially went to the Marion reation of Freeman vs. Robinson, they presented increasing evi- County Circuit Court, where it In "A Matter of Justice, denee against Ellington. After ruled in favor of the defendant. Freetown Village cast members much ado, Ellington eventually Freeman then appealed to the will take the audience back to gave up the fight and the case was Indiana Supreme Court and won. the inid-19 11 ' century Indiana for dismissed. But Freeman was un- Ophelia Wellington, executive a lesson in history . In the leg- daunted. The ordeal not only director of Freetown Village

endary case, John Freeman a caused him public humiliation.

free Black man; who according but it also exhausted his finances. > See FREETOWN, Page A2 WDNI-TV/Channel 65 makes massive program changes

Staff Report The Recorder on Air Report (ROAR) television show and Amos Brown’s television talk show have moved to morning time slots as part of a massive shakeup of programming at WDNI-TV/Channel 65, the local TV station owned by Radio One. The ROAR will now be seen Friday mornings from 8 toft a.m.

and again Sunday afternoons at 3 p.m. The Amos Brown Show, formerly seen five days a week, will now be seen just on Monday and Wednesday mornings from 8 to ft a.m. Station officials would not speak to The Recorder about the changes, which were confirmed from the Zap'Jlt television listings Web site.

All ol'WDNl-TY's other w eekday programming has been cancelled or moved to Sundays. A new format for the TV station has yet to be officially announced, but viewers have noticed the station is running R& B. hip-hop and rock videos at most times during the day and night. WNP1 programs also can he seen on Comcast Channel ftft and I’ime-Warnei Channel 20.

Judges sworn in Judges of Marion County's Superior Court are shown during a swearing-in ceremony in the City-County Building on New Year's Eve. Supreme Court Justice Theodore Boehm invested the judges who were elected in November. Included in the ceremony were AfricanAmerican judges Cynthia J. Ayers, Tanya Walton Pratt and David A. Shaheed. (Photo/C. Guynn)

Subscribe to The Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper Call (317) 924-5143