Indiana Black Legislative Caucus stops in Evansville

BY RASHEEDAH AJIBADE

The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus (IBLC) visited Evansville last Saturday at Central Library as part of their Statewide Town Hall Series where they visit communities across Indiana to provide updates on legislation. During the presentation, there was a wealth of information shared by the legislator panel that impacts the daily lives of residents. For that reason, Our Times Newspaper invites you to join us in the coming weeks as we share this vital information with you. In Part One of our series, we will introduce the participants of the event, talk about the a new approach IBLC is taking to capture the voices of the community, and provide an overview of the topics that will be covered in this series. 

The legislator panel included Rep. Earl Harris, Senator Andrea Hunley, Rep. Robin Shackleford, Rep. John Bartlett, Rep. Vanessa Summers, Senator LaKeisha Jackson, and Rep. Carolyn Jackson. Tim Brown facilitated the question-and-answer session. 

To kick off the meeting, Marshawn Wolley and Dr. Demetrius Hutchins of Black Onyx Management, an applied research firm and management consultancy, that partnered with IBLC, as well as the Indianapolis Urban League Indiana and Black Expo, shared statewide data they collected to identify the needs of Black communities across the state. Dr. Hutchins explained the process of data collection, emphasizing its participatory nature. She highlighted that participation in surveys enables community members to provide input on the laws and policies they would like to see addressed. She also stressed the importance of community engagement, urging attendees to sign in and provide their contact information. This ensures they receive notifications about sur veys and other opportunities to contribute their input.

Wolley shared the results of the data collected, revealing that the top concerns when aggregated included community violence, mental health, and food insecurity. Additionally, an economic development agenda highlighted affordable housing, K through 12 education, black business formation and development, and job workforce as primary issues. Overall, when considering both community and economic development agendas, community violence, affordable housing, and mental health consistently ranked among the top three concerns, regardless of location. The survey will be conducted again this year. 

Each legislator panelist provided a concise overview of both passed and unsuccessful bills, along with their ongoing legislative stances and advocacy efforts. The topics covered included: State Budget, Education, Courts and Criminal Code, Health and Human Services, Military and Veterans Affairs, Miscellaneous, Good Legislation that did not pass, Bad Legislation that did not pass, and a Question-and-Answer session. 

Join us next week as we dive into a discussion about the state budget, education, and student absenteeism. If you are a parent, grandparent, or a relative raising children, you’ll want to be aware of changes that may affect you or your child!