The Afternoons with Amos PODCAST For Friday, Octoer 9, 2015. (Entire Broadcast Is Devoted To Discussion of A “Black Agenda” for Indianapolis’ African-American Community). For months, Indianapolis Pastor the Rev. Joy Thornton of Greater St. Mark Baptist Church on the eastside has been concerned about the direction of Indianapolis’ African-American community.
Rev. Joy Thornton
In several phone calls to Afternoons with Amos, Rev. Thorton said he was going to survey people’s feelings and expectations of Black leaders at Indiana Black Expo. Later in the summer he invited the community to attend meetings at his church to help develop a “Black Agenda”. A set of goals and objectives to measure the effectiveness of Black leadership, especially elected officials. During several of those calls, Amos invited Rev. Thornton that when the Black Agenda was finished Rev. Thornton would be welcomed to come on and talk about them. During Friday’s Afternoons with Amos Rev. Thornton, joined by businessman and entrepreneur Bruce Ford, appeared on the program to explain the Black Agenda’s goals and objectives. As Presented by Rev. Thorton, the sixteen points of a Black Agenda for Indianapolis is as follows:
BLACK AGENDA FOR INDIANAPOLIS – By Rev. Joy Thornton
1. Equal economics. A black business will be given equal share of tax dollars on city business
2. Establish Black Business Zones
3. Blacks appointment to boards and agencies – reflective of the population.
4. Economic revitalization to the black community in par with the white community.
5. Financial Equality
6. Focus on the criminalization of black males by way of visual and printed media and the justice system, locally and nationally.
7. Need well-rounded high school curriculum that includes trades, such as home economics, woodshop, information technology and building trades such as plumbing, heating and air.
8. Focus on Job Ready Education upon High School completion.
9. Collectively achieve ways to keep from destroying the Black family through incarceration and mass criminalization at the behest of profit.
10. Public Safety education in the high risk areas of the Black community.
11. Development of a Liaison Person from Public Safety to work with Black churches and Pastors, Imams and Priests to improve relationships for effective public safety.
12. Appointment of Blacks on the (Police and Fire) Merit Board (no token appointments) with recommendations from the Black leadership, e.g. Clergy.
13. Monthly meeting with the clergy before there is a crisis – having a working list of community needs and concerns.
14. Funding of programs in the Black community to curtail crime in the most deadly zip code.
15. Ensuring Black leadership are in key city positions, as heads.
16. Allow the Black clergy to lead the training process of police officers and fire personnel in cultural awareness and diversity sensitivity. This will be done by Clergy with the background and understanding of the importance of the process.
Bruce Ford
During the discussion with Afternoons with Amos listeners, Rev. Thornton and Ford indicated that they expected Black elected officials to implement these goals and principles. Both men said they would be developing report cards on where elected officials stood on these goals and principles and would be graded on their ability to adopt them. Asked about specifics, especially on the economic goals and objectives in the Black Agenda, Rev. Thorton and Ford were somewhat vague on how they could be implemented and where the funding would come. The overarching objective was greater investment in the Black community, including greater investment in Black-owned businesses. The plan also has a strong emphasis on vocational education and non-college, but career oriented education for Black youth. The Agenda also stresses new ways of educating the community improving police-community relations and a strong emphasis on more Blacks on government boards and commissions and the hiring of Blacks in top positions in local government offices and agencies. Rev. Thorton promises to hold elected officials accountable to the Black Agenda’s sixteen points. The Afternoons with Amos PODCAST For Friday, october 9, 2015. Runs 92 Minutes ©2015 WTLC/Radio One. PODCAST Starts After Brief Video Ad.
