Veteran Democratic political strategist Donna Brazile is an adjunct professor, author, syndicated columnist, television political commentator, vice chair of voter registration and participation at the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and former interim national chair of the DNC as well as the former chair of the DNC’s Voting Rights Institute.

Political analyst Michael Steele is an MSNBC contributor, radio host, author, writer, former chair of the Republican National Committee, and former lieutenant governor of Maryland – the first African American elected to statewide office there.

TOPICS:

• Economy
• Social/Race issues
• Voter Suppression/Early voting
• COID 19
• CARES/Additional Stimulus
• Supreme Court
• Health Care
• 2012 Impact

Note: topics are subject to changed based on news and news releases in the upcoming days.

INDIANAPOLIS – October 21, 2020 – Al Carl, WISH-TV news director, today announced a special, commercial free, hour-long edition of All INdiana Politics will air Wednesday, October 28, at 6:00 p.m., ahead of the 2020 general election.

Brought to you in part by the Indianapolis Urban League, this special edition of All INdiana Politics will be hosted by News 8 anchors Brooke Martin and Phil Sanchez, and will feature national contributors Donna Brazile and Michael Steele, representing the Democratic and Republican parties respectively.  Topics to be discussed include, but are not limited to: the economy, social/race issues, voter suppression/early voting, COVID-19 response/CARES act, the Supreme Court, and healthcare.

Veteran Democratic political strategist Donna Brazile is an adjunct professor, author, syndicated columnist, television political commentator, vice chair of voter registration and participation at the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and former interim national chair of the DNC as well as the former chair of the DNC’s Voting Rights Institute.

Political analyst Michael Steele is an MSNBC contributor, radio host, author, writer, former chair of the Republican National Committee, and former lieutenant governor of Maryland – the first African American elected to statewide office there.

“We are very excited to bring Hoosiers this special edition of All INdiana Politics during this important political season,” said Carl.  “In particular, this broadcast aims to provide viewers bi-partisan perspective on key national and local issues facing the electorate.  It’s our goal to empower voters with the information they need to cast their ballots decisively.”

In addition to national perspective, local contributors John Zody, Indiana Democratic Party chair, and Republican strategist Pete Seat, former communications manager for the Indiana Republican Party and White House press staffer, will offer localized insight and response to the issues discussed.  Zody and Seat will also address statewide races, Indiana election law, and how Hoosiers can work to bridge the ever-widening partisan gap at both the state and national level.

All-new, weekly versions of All INdiana Politics can be seen in its regular time period, Sundays at 9:30 a.m. on WISH-TV.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25, 2020

JUDGE RULES THAT CENSUS MUST NOT BE RUSHED; VICTORY FOR CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS, CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California last night issued an order blocking the Trump administration’s attempts to rush the 2020 Census to a close while a legal challenge to that plan plays out in the courts. The court’s order preliminarily enjoins the Census Bureau and Secretary of Commerce from using a September 30, 2020 deadline for the completion of data collection and a December 31, 2020 deadline for processing and then reporting the census count to the President.  Under the Court’s Order, the census count will continue through October 31, as the Census Bureau had earlier planned, and its data processing will continue under a timeline that allows for a full, fair and accurate overall tabulation and reporting of the total population to the President..

District Judge Lucy H. Koh issued her ruling after a hearing Tuesday afternoon in National Urban League et al. v. Wilbur L. Ross Jr. et al., the lawsuit filed by civil rights groups, civil organizations, and tribal and local governments on August 18 to block the administration’s attempt to rush census operations to a close by September 30 and send population numbers for apportionment to the President by December 31. The plaintiffs sought to stop the Trump administration’s plan to force the Census Bureau to shorten the 2020 count against the judgment of the bureau’s own expert staff and in the middle of a pandemic.

The court had already issued a temporary restraining order to prevent the administration from shutting down its census operations while the court prepared the ruling it issued today.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are membership and advocacy organizations, counties, cities, federally-recognized Indian tribes, and individuals whose communities will be underrepresented in the final census count if the administration succeeds in ending the 2020 Census data collection and processing prematurely. The plaintiffs are the National Urban League, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Black Alliance for Just Immigration, the League of Women Voters, the Navajo Nation, Gila River Indian Community, Harris County in Texas, Commissioners Rodney Ellis and Adrian Garcia of the Harris County Commissioners Court, King County in Washington, the city and county of Los Angeles, the cities of San Jose and Salinas (California) and  the City of Chicago, Illinois.

The plaintiffs are represented by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Latham & Watkins, LLP, Public Counsel, Navajo Nation Department of Justice, the Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney, the Office of the Salinas City Attorney, Edelson P.C., the Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, and Holland & Knight LLP.

The Covid-19 pandemic posed new challenges to the decennial census, including massive displacements of people, just as the count was getting underway. It upended all census field operations and undermined outreach to populations that the bureau has long struggled to count, including racial and ethnic minorities, non-English speakers, and undocumented persons.

Bureau officials requested an extension of census data collection, processing, and reporting deadlines to accommodate a Covid-19 plan that President Trump publicly supported, and spent multiple months acting on that plan. But on August 3, Commerce Secretary Wilbur L. Ross and Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham abruptly announced that the data-collection would stop on September 30, a full month short of the time census officials had previously said was necessary to complete the count.

The lawsuit argues that the Trump administration’s new, accelerated census timeline cuts a crucial four weeks from the actual count and four months from the time for processing and reporting the data used to apportion the U.S. House of Representatives. The abrupt change disregards the bureau’s own plans for dealing with the hardships imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. It will also undermine the quality and accuracy of the census as well as produce a massive undercount of communities of color.

The lawsuit argues that the administration’s attempts to rush the census to a close pose a grave threat to the vital functions that rely on census data, from reapportioning the House of Representatives and redrawing state and local electoral districts to equitably distributing over $1.5 trillion annually in federal funds that support basic needs like education, food, and health care.

The lawsuit seeks to have the court declare the decision to scuttle the census Covid-19 plan unlawful because it violates the Administrative Procedure Act as well as the Enumeration Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution.

The suit asks the court to keep the 2020 Census on the schedule proposed by census officials in April in response to Covid-19. Under that plan, the bureau would complete the census, including door-knocking, by October 31, 2020, and deliver apportionment numbers to the president by April 30, 2021. Redistricting data would be reported to the states by July 31, 2021.

For the ruling, please click here.

The following comments are from:

Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League
“The court’s decision affirms our contention that changes to the census schedule will irreparably harm the integrity of the 2020 Census and result in a devastating undercount of vulnerable communities.  Career officials at the Census Bureau opposed the shortened schedule precisely for these reasons, and to avoid the perception of political manipulation, and we are confident that integrity and equity will win out over the partisan vandalism that threatens our democracy.”

Jonathan Nez, President, Navajo Nation
“We have a strong and diverse coalition of plaintiffs who are demanding that the U.S. Census Bureau uphold their original plan to allow the census count to continue through the month of October. The coronavirus pandemic has set all of us back and created many challenges to get people counted, especially for rural areas such as the Navajo Nation. Today’s ruling should be respected to allow the census count to continue without disruption.”

Derrick Johnson, President and CEO, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
“In the face of a global pandemic, the last thing we should consider is cutting short the decennial census that has long-lasting repercussions on the well-being, health, and livelihood of so many Americans. The decision to continue the census will ensure proper attention is given to overlooked and unreported areas that need to be counted the most.”

Nana Gyamfi, Executive Director, Black Alliance for Just Immigration
“We are pleased with the court’s ruling, affirming what we already know – every person counts and must be counted in this 2020 census. For the Black community, this decision means we have extra time to claim the governmental resources and representation that we’ve been denied. We look forward to continuing the important work of making sure our community members are counted by the census deadline.”

Stephen Roe Lewis, Governor, Gila River Indian Community
“The decision by the Commerce Department to abruptly cut off counting would have dramatically compounded the historic issue of undercounting in Indian Country. I couldn’t be more pleased that the court has put things back on track for a fairer and more accurate count, both for our tribe and for all tribes across the country.”

Virginia Kase, CEO, League of Women Voters of the United States
“Today’s decision is a victory for democracy. Census officials outlined an extended counting period in order to achieve the full enumeration of all people living in the United States. The effort to rush the timeline set by our trusted census experts was a blatant attempt to force an undercount, deprive American communities of critical funding, and undermine the accuracy of our representative districts. The League now urges the American public to fill out the census and ask their friends and family to do the same. Our democracy depends on it.”

Rodney Ellis, Harris County Precinct One Commissioner, Texas
“Today’s decision helps ensure a fair and accurate Census count for Harris County, Texas. An undercount within Harris County’s multi-racial and multi-ethnic communities, which have not yet responded to the Census, will perpetuate the inequities already faced by these communities.”

Sam Liccardo, Mayor, City of San Jose
“Today, against powerful forces of exclusion and elitism, the court has vindicated a fundamental American principle: everyone counts.  We are proud to join forces with our partners to hold the Trump Administration accountable to our nation’s constitutional commitments.”

Mike Feuer, Los Angeles City Attorney
“Today’s injunction is a major victory in our fight for an accurate census count—which is crucial to fair political representation and the proper allocation of essential federal resources. The court saw through the Trump administration’s efforts to camouflage its political interference in what is supposed to be the neutral, nonpartisan process of counting every American. Now, with little time to lose and so much at stake, I urge everyone to take the few moments necessary to be included in the census.”

Dow Constantine, Executive, King County, Washington
 “Today’s ruling reaffirms that in America, everyone counts and everyone deserves to be counted. At every turn, the 2020 census has been politicized and many residents have felt alienated and targeted by these senseless actions. Today’s ruling allows the full window of enumeration to occur so that our communities are counted fairly and accurately.”

Mark Flessner, Corporation Counsel, City of Chicago
“The Trump administration once again showed its blatant political agenda in trying to halt census operations early. The ruling today is a significant win to make sure all are counted.”

Christopher A. Callihan, Salinas City Attorney
“Democracy depends on giving a voice to even those people who are hard to count.  Today is a victory for Salinas’s hard to count population and for everyone who believes in a free and fair representative democracy.”

Melissa Arbus Sherry, Partner, Latham & Watkins
“We are gratified by the Court’s well-reasoned and swift ruling on this important, time-sensitive case.  As the Court recognized, the Census Bureau has itself repeatedly recognized that a full, fair, and accurate count takes time, especially when faced with a historic pandemic. Every day that the 2020 Census count continues, and Census operations appropriately continue, will help ensure the accuracy and completeness of this once-in-a-decade tally.”

Thomas Wolf, Senior Counsel and Spitzer Fellow, Brennan Center for Justice
“Today’s ruling is a significant victory in the ongoing fight to save the 2020 Census from a critical undercount of our country’s communities of color. The census must count everyone, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or citizenship status. To do that in the face of Covid-19, hurricanes, and wildfires, the Census Bureau needs all the time it asked and planned for in the spring. The court’s order will give that time back to the Bureau by blocking the Trump administration’s illegal decision to shut down the census early.”

Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director, Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
“The court’s decision ensures that our underrepresented and most vulnerable communities will not be disadvantaged by an unfair and incomplete census count. With this directive, the Trump administration was attempting to fan the flames of racial division, further divide our country and exclude communities of color from the final enumeration. The court’s decision repudiates the 11th hour actions of the Trump administration and makes clear that our democracy turns on achieving a full and fair count of all people across our nation.”

CONTACT:
Teresa Candori, National Urban League, tcandori@nul.org, 212-558-5362
Abraham Paulos, Black Alliance for Just Immigration, abraham@baji.org, 773-425-6944
Mireya Navarro, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, mireya.navarro@nyu.edu, 646-925-8760
Kathleen Fieweger, the City of Chicago, Illinois, Kathleen.Fieweger@cityofchicago.org
Donald R. Pongrace, Gila River Indian Community, dpongrace@akingump.com
Melody Patelis, (Commissioner Pct 1), Harris County, Texas, Melody.Patelis@cp1.hctx.net
Chase Gallagher, King County, Washington, Chase.Gallagher@kingcounty.gov
Jamie Zuieback, Latham & Watkins LLP, Jamie.Zuieback@lw.com, 202-701-4038
Don Owens, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, dowens@lawyerscommittee.org, 202-934-1880
Kayla Vix, League of Women Voters of the United States, KVix@lwv.org, 202-809-9668
Rob Wilcox, Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney, rob.wilcox@lacity.org, 916-396-0400
Marc Banks, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, dbanks@naacpnet.org
Marquita Garnenez, Navajo Nation, mgarnenez@nndoj.org; and Jason Searle, jasearle@nndoj.org
Michael Mutalipassi, Office of the Salinas City Attorney, michaelmu@ci.salinas.ca.us, 831-758-7073
Rachel Davis, Office of the Mayor of San Jose, rachel.davis@sanjoseca.gov, 408-535-4857

URBAN LEAGUE LEADERS:  GRAND JURY DECISION IS AN AFFRONT TO BREONNA TAYLOR’S MEMORY

LOUISVILLE, KY (September 23, 2020) — Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, and Sadiqa N. Reynolds, Esq., President & CEO of the Louisville Urban League, issued the following joint statement in response to a grand jury’s failure to seek justice for the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor.

Perversion of justice is too feeble a term to describe the grand jury’s decision not to file a single criminal charge related to Breonna’s death. It is an affront to Breonna’s memory, and to the millions of Americans who have stood in solidarity with Breonna’s family and marched in the streets in her name.

The barrage of gunfire that endangered Breonna’s neighbors is the very same gunfire that took Breonna’s life. It is incomprehensible to suggest that the risk of injuring neighbors is a crime but the actual killing of an innocent young woman is not.

Breonna’s family has waited six months for justice, only to be slapped in the face by the grand jury’s indifference. Where is the swift hand of the law that took only hours to charge Kenneth Walker with attempted murder for a single gunshot, fired in fear for his and Breonna’s lives? Where do the Black victims of police misconduct go to find that kind of justice?

We are a community in despair but we do not seek revenge, as Attorney General Daniel Cameron so offensively suggested. We seek healing. We seek change. We ask our brothers and sisters to demonstrate with us peacefully in Breonna’s name, and we plead with city authorities and police to allow us space to express our grief without provocation.

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CONTACT: Teresa Candori, 212-558-5362 | tcandori@nul.org

About the National Urban League:

The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. Founded in New York City in 1910, the National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its 90 local affiliates across the country through the development of programs, public policy research and advocacy, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than 2 million people annually nationwide. . Visit www.nul.org and follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @NatUrbanLeague.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – SEPTEMBER 14, 2020

 Contacts:         Amy Nelson, Executive Director, Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana 317-644-0673 x1001

anelson@fhcci.org

Nancy Haynes, Executive Director, Fair Housing Center of West Michigan 616-451-2980

nhaynes@fhcwm.org

Jeff Dillman, Co-Director, Fair Housing Project, Legal Aid of North Carolina 919-861-1884

jeffd@legalaidnc.org

Arthur Crosby, Executive Director, Lexington Fair Housing Council 859-971-8067

art@lexingtonfairhousing.com

FAIR HOUSING GROUPS REACH SETTLEMENT EXPANDING HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN

 INDIANAPOLIS, IN (September 14, 2020) – Today, the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana (FHCCI), the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan (FHCWM), the Fair Housing Project of Legal Aid of North Carolina, and the Lexington Fair Housing Council announce a conciliation agreement with Pierce Education Properties to expand fair housing opportunities for families with children. Pierce Education Properties manages a portfolio of 27 student housing complexes, encompassing approximately 5,715 individual units across 18 states. The agreement will open up access for families with children to over 12,830 rentable bedroom units.

“We commend Pierce Education Properties and plan to hold them as a model for other student housing portfolios in how they worked to quickly address the issues in the filed complaint and fully open their housing to students with children,” stated Amy Nelson, Executive Director of the FHCCI. “Those with children face housing barriers far too often and sometimes must make challenging choices in finding safe and affordable housing while building toward their futures.”

“This agreement recognizes that today’s college student population is made up of people from all age groups and backgrounds. Over one-third of students attending post-secondary institutions last fall were over the age of 24. Some have spouses and children and others are single parents attending college either full-time or part time,” said FHCWM Executive Director, Nancy Haynes. “Student housing management companies need to be mindful that their policies and practices do not exclude or place an unfair rent burden on students with children. Student housing should provide equal housing opportunity for all students.”

The agreement is the resolution of a fair housing complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) in December 2019 alleging violations of fair housing laws against families with children. The 2019 complaint alleged an ongoing pattern of discrimination through the Respondents’ enforcement of a one person per bedroom policy regardless of the size of the bedroom, local occupancy code, or HUD issued guidance. The fair housing groups conducted a joint investigation across several states regarding the Respondents’ policies and how they were marketed and maintained. The investigation found that a single student with a child as young as one year old would be required to rent an extra bedroom instead of sharing with his/her child. The investigation also uncovered that a married student couple with a child could not rent a two bedroom unit under the Respondents’ then policies.

HUD did not make a determination as to the validity of the allegations, and Pierce Education Properties denied the allegations and admitted no wrongdoing, but agreed to settle the claims by entering into a Conciliation Agreement with HUD and the private fair housing groups. In order to settle the complaint, Pierce Education Properties agreed to pay $50,000; change their occupancy policy to provide equal housing opportunity to families with children; revise their marketing materials to be inclusive of all students regardless of familial status, age, disability, and other protected classes under fair housing law; and train their employees and managers across the nation on fair housing, among other terms to ensure compliance with fair housing laws.

Finding a decent, affordable place to live can be extremely challenging for students. Those with children face added barriers in locating housing near campuses that will rent to them with their child or children. A recent report by the National Fair Housing Alliance found that 11.15% of the filed complaints with HUD involved discrimination against families with children. Another study found that 14% of community college students are homeless.

Jeff Dillman, Co-Director of the Fair Housing Project of Legal Aid of North Carolina, stated, “Throughout the country, families with children face great difficulty finding safe, affordable housing. Overly-restrictive occupancy policies can unlawfully deny them housing they are otherwise qualified for, and the current pandemic has only exacerbated the problem. We hope that Pierce Educational Properties’ new policies will serve as a model for other housing providers to ensure that they provide families with children an equal opportunity to housing.”

“There is an affordable housing crisis throughout the nation. Families with children often have limited options that they can afford, and they often feel excluded from apartments that house college students. This settlement will help change some of those misperceptions,” stated Arthur Crosby, Executive Director, of the Lexington Fair Housing Council.

The fair housing groups were represented in this enforcement action by Relman Colfax PLLC attorneys Jia Cobb and Kali Schellenberg, and paralegal Charlotte Saltzman. A copy of the conciliation agreement can be found on the FHCCI’s News Page.

The Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana (FHCCI) is a private, nonprofit fair housing organization founded in 2011 and based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Its mission is to ensure equal housing opportunities by eliminating housing discrimination through advocacy, enforcement, education, and outreach. More information on the FHCCI at: www.fhcci.org

The Fair Housing Center of West Michigan is a private, non-profit fair housing organization committed to providing comprehensive fair housing services, including education, outreach, research, advocacy and enforcement. The Fair Housing Center is the front door to housing choice, ensuring that everyone in our community has equal opportunity to choose housing that’s right for them. You can learn more about the FHCWM at: www.fhcwm.org

The Fair Housing Project of Legal Aid of North Carolina works to eliminate housing discrimination and to ensure equal housing opportunity for all people in North Carolina through education, outreach, public policy initiatives, advocacy and enforcement. Learn more about the Fair Housing Project at www.fairhousingnc.org

The Lexington Fair Housing Council is a full-service, nonprofit civil rights agency committed to eradicating discrimination in housing. The Fair Housing Council enforces the federal Fair Housing Act, the Kentucky Fair Housing Act, and the local fair housing ordinances (where applicable). The Lexington Fair Housing Council is the only private nonprofit fair housing agency in Kentucky and investigates complaints throughout the Commonwealth. More information at: lexingtonfairhousing.com

The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported in part by funding under a grant with the

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the federal Government

National Urban League and Indianapolis Urban League Announce Quality of Life Renewal Initiative, Supported by $100 Million Grant from Lilly Endowment

By National Urban League
Published 01 PM EDT, Wed Aug 5, 2020

NEW YORK (August 5, 2020) – The National Urban League today announced a newly formed Indianapolis African American Quality of Life Renewal Initiative. This extraordinary place-based effort will provide a unique funding opportunity to address challenges facing Indianapolis’ African American community. This initiative is made possible by a $100 million grant from Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc. to the National Urban League.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the nation’s health and economic systems and disproportionately harmed African Americans, it has illuminated decades of disparities and unequal access to multiple life-essential resources.

The Initiative will encourage collaboration and resource maximization between the National Urban League, the Indianapolis Urban League and the African American Coalition of Indianapolis and its member organizations, community groups, faith-based organizations, corporations, foundations, local and state public agencies and individuals already engaged in addressing challenging conditions facing African Americans in Indianapolis.

“This initiative represents an historic opportunity to build a model for other communities to emulate,” said National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial. “The economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought unprecedented destruction on Black urban communities, many of which never recovered from the Great Recession, and it will take an unprecedented approach to rebuild and revitalize them. This initiative will seek to combine the resources, infrastructure, expertise and passion of the Indianapolis public, private and civic institutions in a way that could have a profound effect not only on Indianapolis’ economic future, but the national recovery.”

Lilly Endowment made the grant to the National Urban League because of the financial and administrative capacity it will bring to the Initiative and because of its national connections to efforts around the country to address similar challenges. The Indianapolis Urban League and the African American Coalition of Indianapolis will lead the Initiative locally, working with a broad cross section of Indianapolis’ African American community to establish objectives and priorities, and advise the National Urban League about which Indianapolis organizations will receive funding.

“The pandemic has laid bare how the quality of life for African Americans has been diminished by generations of systemic racism, which has limited their access to educational and economic opportunities that others often take for granted,” said Lilly Endowment’s Chairman, President and CEO N. Clay Robbins.  “The Endowment invited this grant request from the National Urban League because of the Endowment’s positive experiences with past grants to it and the Indianapolis Urban League and because of the strong commitment of both organizations to equality, education, economic empowerment, and health and wellness in the African American community.  We hope that the efforts funded through this initiative, which will supplement the Endowment’s ongoing support of the efforts of several Indianapolis organizations that strive to improve the quality of life of African Americans, will materially enhance the future prosperity of significant numbers of African Americans in our community.”

The first months of the Initiative will be devoted to seeking input from a broad cross section of the Indianapolis’ African American community to refine definitions of community needs and priorities; exploring local and national results-based models and best practices to address the priorities; and establishing a quality team that will guide the initiative. Thus, there will be limited grant making in 2020.

The funds may be used for programs and direct services and also for planning, programmatic and policy research and development, capacity building, leadership development, evaluation, encouraging collaborations, promoting best practices, developing needed organizational infrastructure, various community projects and so forth.  Both secular and faith-based organizations will be eligible to receive grant funds to support initiatives that are collaborative, align with the priorities jointly established by the Indianapolis Urban League and African American Coalition of Indianapolis, and other community participants.

“The African American Coalition of Indianapolis (AACI), a collaboration of more than 20 African American civic, religious, social, professional and human service organizations, appreciates this unique opportunity to deepen our partnership with the Indianapolis Urban League and the National Urban League to mobilize against persistent conditions that destroy hope and promise for individuals of all ages and their families within the African American community,” said African American Coalition of Indianapolis Chairman Willis K. Bright Jr.

The Initiative will also seek additional corporate, government, educational and philanthropic partnerships to best achieve short-term and long-term goals in creating permanent improvement in the quality of life within the Indianapolis African American community.

“We are excited to work alongside the African American Coalition in administering this generous place-based grant, provided by Lilly Endowment to the National Urban League. This grant will ignite, strengthen, and build upon numerous established collaborations while affording newly discovered opportunities within our community – all grounded in a common goal of improving the quality of life of African American residents in our community; from strengthening  education (early childhood to life-long learning), individual growth and family stability, public health, access to affordable housing, workforce development and employment to Black business development and entrepreneurship, and renewed civic engagement – as big as we can collectively dream,” said the Indianapolis Urban League President and CEO Tony Mason.

###

About the National Urban League:

The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. Founded in New York City in 1910, the National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its 90 local affiliates across the country through the development of programs, public policy research and advocacy, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than 2 million people annually nationwide. . Visit www.nul.org and follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @NatUrbanLeague.

About Indianapolis Urban League:

Founded in 1965, the Indianapolis Urban League is a nonprofit, non-partisan, interracial, community-based, human services agency dedicated to assisting African Americans, other minorities and disadvantaged individuals to achieve social and economic equality. Annually, the IUL provides direct services and advocacy in the areas of: education and youth services, economic and workforce development, health and quality of life, civic engagement and leadership, and civil rights and racial justice empowerment. IUL is one of 90 affiliates of the National Urban League serving 300 communities in 36 states and the District of Columbia. For more information visit indplsul.org

About the African American Coalition of Indianapolis:

Founded in 2004, the African American Coalition of Indianapolis (AACI) is a non-partisan collaboration of more than 20 African-American civic, social, professional, service and community organizations with a goal to educate and engage African Americans in the local, state and national political process.

About Lilly Endowment Inc:

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic foundation based in Indianapolis. The Endowment was created in 1937 by J. K. Lilly Sr and his sons, Eli and J. K. Jr., through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with  its founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. It funds significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion, though it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 18, 2020

The Indianapolis Urban League Joins the Nation in Mourning
the Passing of Congressman John Lewis

Indianapolis, IN (July 18, 2020) – Today, we join the nation in mourning the passing of Congressman John Lewis.

As Lewis remarked, his protest efforts were “…getting into good trouble”.  As one of the “Big 6” leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, Mr. Lewis stood tall leading and teaching generations how to be activist, from boycotts, to sit-ins, to protests, to boldly championing policy changes in Congress lifting and lending his voice fighting racism and injustice unselfishly until to the end.

Thank you for your courage, your endurance during a lifetime of sacrifice and commitment to change.

“Today the Indianapolis Urban League stands in solidarity with the nation in saluting your life of unwavering service to each of us as people of color and memorializes your passing to the arms of the God you faithfully served,” stated Tony Mason, President and CEO of the Indianapolis Urban League.

We have watched. We have learned. We will continue the legacy.  Rest in power!
##

Contact: Anthony “Tony” Mason, President & CEO
(317) 693-7603 and (317) 319-3141

_____________________________________________________

About the Indianapolis Urban League:
Founded in 1965, the Indianapolis Urban League (IUL) is a nonprofit, non-partisan, interracial, community-based, human services agency dedicated to assisting African-Americans, other minorities and disadvantaged individuals to achieve social and economic equality. Annually, the IUL provides direct services and advocacy in the areas of: education and youth services, economic and workforce development, health and quality of life, civic engagement and leadership, and civil rights and racial justice empowerment. IUL is one of 90 affiliates of the National Urban League serving 300 communities in 36 states and the District of Columbia. For more information visit indplsul.org

Click link to apply www.indyrent.org

Mayor Joe Hogsett, Unveils Details of

Rental Assistance Program

Residents may apply by going to indyrent.org. Renters will need to provide income information from February 2020 and income/unemployment information since March 1, 2020. Landlords must agree to participate in order for renters to receive assistance. Several community organizations will be available to assist residents with language and technology barriers. The attached flyer contains a list of community organizations and information on how to apply.

“We stand ready to support this work at a crucial time for our city,” said Urban League President & CEO Tony Mason. “Our network of community organizations will go far in ensuring that anyone eligible for this funding is aware and able to apply.”
The program is funded by $15 million of the nearly $80 million CARES Act funding approved by the City-County Council on June 8. At that time, it was announced that Lilly Endowment Inc. would commit additional philanthropic support to the program.

“Rental assistance can make an enormous difference for those whose lives have been upended by COVID-19,” said John Boner Neighborhood Centers CEO James Taylor. “Through extensive community partnerships, the benefits of the program will ripple across Indianapolis.”

Marion County residents can request a free face covering at indy.gov/masks. Indianapolis residents impacted by COVID-19 should visit the City of Indianapolis resource guide, which can be viewed at www.indy.gov/covid. Spanish speaking residents can view the Resource Guide here. Individuals who are unable to navigate the city’s website can call 317-327-4MAC between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to talk to a customer service representative.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Declines to Protect Hoosier Families from Predatory Lending

36% APR Cap More Essential Now Than Ever

Indianapolis, IN July 7, 2020 – Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) gutted a proposed protection against predatory lending, leaving Hoosier families exposed to the harms of payday lending. The 2017 Payday Rule, which was finalized but did not take effect, would have required that lenders verify a borrower’s ability to repay a loan before issuing it. Today, the CFPB issued a final rule without ability-to-repay requirements.

“Struggling Hoosier families need real assistance – not loans they cannot afford at unconscionable interest rates,” said Jessica Fraser, Director of Indiana Institute for Working Families. “Today’s move by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to gut the payday rule by stripping the ability-to-repay requirement will not only be devastating for families, it will ultimately hurt us all.”

Organizations and individuals throughout the state of Indiana have called on state and federal lawmakers to pass an interest rate cap of 36% or lower on small dollar loans, which has effectively protected residents of sixteen other states and military service members from the payday debt trap.

In 2002, the Indiana General Assembly granted payday lenders an exemption to Indiana’s loansharking law, which makes it a felony to issue loans at or above 72% APR. Under current Indiana law, payday lenders can loan out up to 20% of a borrower’s income up to a cap of $605 and these loans can reach up to 391% APR.

Payday lenders in Indiana have drained over $300 million in fees from Hoosier communities over the past five years. The median borrower income is estimated to be just over $19,000 per year.