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Faith leaders critical of council resolution declaring racism a public health crisis

The faith leaders said city leaders continue to ignore deserts for African Americans including health, food, education, public safety and economic.
Credit: WTHR
(WTHR file photo)

INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) — Faith leaders are critical of a resolution passed by the City-County Council Monday night declaring racism a public health crisis.

The Baptist Minister’s Alliance, National Action Network of Indiana and the Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis issued a response saying they were saddened by the resolution.

"...city leadership continues to create resolutions that have no true depth that will address the plight of African Americans in Indianapolis," the statement reads.

The faith leaders said city leaders continue to ignore deserts for African Americans including health, food, education, public safety and economic.

"Rather than direct resources to address the deserts that have existed for years, city leadership hides behind resolutions and meaningless actions with no real city commitment to addressing the systemic racism that has created the deserts. There are no economic commitments to positively impacting the black community," the statement reads.

The faith leaders then pose the following questions:

  • Where are the economic empowerment zones?
  • Where are the commitments to African Americans for access to contracts that the mayor and city pass out?
  • Where are the commitments that all children in poor neighborhoods have access to the internet?
  • Where is the development of the Black Agenda for Indianapolis?

The statement goes on to say that city leaders want the African American Community to be satisfied with the removal of the confederate statue in Garfield Park and "meaningless resolutions."

The resolution calls for city and county departments "to collect data, disaggregated by race, on city hiring, contracting, purchasing, etc." The collected data is then required to be made available to the public.

The proposal also calls for elected officials and departments to review policies and procedures to eliminate "implicit and explicit racial bias" and develop policies and procedures "that build racial equity."

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