Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 7 October 2005 — Page 1

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Volume 110 ■ Number 40 ■ Since 1895 ■ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2005 ■ www.inclianapolisrecorcler.com ■ Four Sections ■ 75C

ACTRESS REGINA KING ADVOCATES HIV AWARENESS

Actress Regina King served as the keynote speaker for the Second Annual HIV Statewide Awareness Program. The program took place at the Indiana Historical Society and featured various health care representatives. (Photo/J. Hurst)

Staff Report

The Indiana Minority Health Coalition, Indiana State Department of Health and the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration sponsored the second annual HIV Statewide Awareness Program Wednesday at the Indiana Historical Society. Actress Regina King served as the keynote speaker. King is known for her longtime role as Brenda Jenkins on the 1980’s hit television series “227,” and most recently she co-starred in “Miss Congeniality 2” with Sandra Bullock. “One of the biggest things that inspired me to come here was that HIV/AIDS numbers are so high, especially among African-Ameri-can women,” said the long-time HIV/AIDS advocate. While dealing with the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, King wants people to remember the other issues such as HIV/AIDS that remain prevalent in the community. “You still can’t forget the constant everyday things that are going on and the children that we are losing to this disease.” According to the latest statistics, 47 percent of newly diagnosed AIDS cases were minorities. African Americans, who represented less than a 10th of the state’s 2003 population, represented 38.9 percent of those newly diagnosed cases. For information regarding HIV counseling and testing sites, call (317) 233-7840.

Human rights lawyer Brian Concannon Jr. Human rights lawyer says U.S. supports brutality in Haiti

Talk scheduled for Oct. 11 at Marian College By FRAN QUIGLEY For the Recorder

Human rights lawyer Brian Concannon Jr. directs the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH), www.ijdh.org, which litigates cases and documents human rights violations in Haiti. Several investigations, including some conducted by IJDH, have shown that violence and poverty have increased in Haiti under a U.S.-backed governmentthat replaced ousted President Jean Bertrand-Aristide in early 2004. Concannon lived and worked in Haiti from 1995 to 2004, first with the United Nations, and then with the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI) in Port-au-Prince. The BAI was estab-

lished by the elected Haitian government to help victims and the justice system prosecute human rights cases. Concannon will be speaking Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. at Marian College’s Allison Mansion. The talk is part of the Global Studies Speakers Series sponsored by Marian’s Franciscan Center for Global Studies. Following is an interview with him. The title of your talk is “Haiti: the International Community’s Dictatorship.” President Aristide left Haiti in early2004 and an unelected government has taken over, which follows the same pattern that occurred in 1991. What has been the international community’s response the two times Aristide was removed from power? Concannon: The role of the international commu- ► See HAITI, A7

NEWS BRIEFS

Community Resource Fair State Rep. Carolene May, D-Indianapolis, will host a Community Resource Fair Saturday, Oct. 22 at Lafayette Square Mall from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sponsored by The Indianapolis Recorder, the resource fair will feature a child safety seat check, housing information, legal services, obesity information and fitness training, book mobile, information on health and prescription medicine, state social services, employment and training resources as well as other services from local agencies and businesses. There will also be a moonwalk to provide entertainment for children. For more information contact Kelly Sankowski at (317) 924-5143. Sinbad to headline fund-raiser Nationally known actor and comedian Sinbad will be the star of the Indiana Minority Health Coalition's

► See BRIEFS, A3

Got a hot news tip? Want to be heard? If you would like to report any news or share your comments, call the Recorder News Hotline at (317) 924-5143 ext 300

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Day of beauty

Triumphant Transitions recently provided free hair care and spa service to local Hurricane Katrina evacuees. Above: Stylists from various salons and spas treated evacuees to a day of beauty at Capelli Studio. Each stylist donated a year of hair service to participating evacuees; six months free and six months at half price. (Photo/J. Hurst)

Miers raises quesNons for both sides of spectrum By BRANDON A. PERRY Staff Writer

President Bush surprised many observers on both sides of the political aisles this week after announcing his choice to fill the second of two vacancies that were presented on the U.S. Supreme Court over the summer. Harriet Miers, who currently advises Bush as White House counsel, was chosen to replace Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who announced her retirement in July. The announcement of Miers’ selection came immediately after John Roberts took his place as the high court’s new chief justice. During a press conference at the White House, Bush expressed confidence in his nomination of Miers, upholding her as the most qualified person he could find. “I know her character,” Bush said. “She’s a woman of principle and deep conviction. She shares my philosophy ► See MIERS, A2

Faifh Based Pafrol makes strides in reconciliafion

By TONYA WOODARD ELLIS Recorder Correspondent

What started out as a complaint from African-American ministers on WTLC’s “Afternoons with Amos” about the way members of the Indianapolis Police Department (IPD) have treated people in the African-American community has developed into a working relationship that displays a sense

of reconciliation.

On Aug. 25, AfricanAmerican ministers representing such groups as the Interdenominational Ministers Alliance, Baptist Ministers Alliance, Concerned Clergy and Ministers on the Move convened on WTLC with Brown to voice their concern about the way that some police officers from IPD have treated individuals in the African-American

community.

One minister, Rev. Charles Harrison, senior pastor of Barnes United Methodist gave a personal account. After receiving a ticket from an IPD officer, Harrison, who is a chaplain

for the Indiana State Police questioned the officer’s motive; the officer became agitated and pushed Harrison on the chest. “The officer stated to me that ‘this is the first time that I would arrest a preacher,”’ said Harrison. Since this incident, Harrison has appeared before the IPD Internal Complaint Board. “My concern is if they could do this to me,

Rev. Fitzhugh Lyons

“We told the police that we wanted to make sure that the young children were not mistreated,” said Fitzhugh Lyons, pastor of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church. “We also want to make sure that the children were acting

right.”

then what are they doing to other African Americans out there.” During the interview with Brown, Michael Spears, IPD chief of police, called in to express his concern about the allegations. This exchange of comments on air provoked an impromptu meeting in the administrative offices of WLTC from IPD officials and the ministers at the

show.

“We had good dialogue at that meeting and decided to meet again on Sept. 7 to further air our concerns,” said Rayford Brown, senior pastor of Rock of Faith Missionary Baptist Church and president of the Missionary Baptist Ministers Alliance. “We wanted the dialogue to

continue.”

Accordingto Brown, during the next meeting Spears invited James Wyatt, IPD’s assistant chief of police, and various other IPD officials to meet with the ministers and help resolve some of the concerns. During the meeting, the ministers posed a question to IPD - “What can

we do to help?”

The answer to this question became the launching pad for the Faith Based Patrol. IPD asked the ministers to join them during the evening of the Circle City Classic on Oct. 1 to assist with patrolling a one block radius of downtown Indianapolis after the game. The block patrolled was Washington to Capitol, Capitol to Maryland, Maryland to Illinois and Illinois to Washington streets.

► See FAITH, A4

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