National Urban League: A year later, the January 6 Insurrection Still Rages On
NEW YORK (January 6, 2022) – National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial issued the following statement in observance of the one-year anniversary of the January 6, 2021, insurrection:
“A year ago today, Americans watched in horror and revulsion as a savage mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, intent upon overturning a fair and free election through violence or even murder, if necessary.
“The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol has interviewed more than 300 witnesses and reviewed tens of thousands of documents. The Department of Justice has charged more than 700 defendants with alleged crimes ranging from entering restricted Capitol grounds to conspiracy against the United States. Yet the attack on American democracy continues, unabated.
“The ongoing assault relies less on brute violence – though the threat is ever-present – and more on subversion. But the motivation, the fuel, and the ultimate goal remain as stark and repugnant as they were revealed to be on that dark day one year ago.
“The motivation is furious resentment of the historic Black and Brown voter turnout that contributed to the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. The fuel is the ‘Big Lie’—the ugly myth that the election was ‘stolen.’ And the goal is not only to disenfranchise Black and Brown Americans with repressive voting laws, not only to dilute their influence with manipulative racial gerrymandering but to ignore the results of elections entirely.
“The work of the Justice Department and the January 6 Committee is vital to uncovering the origins of the deadly insurrection and to holding the perpetrators accountable. But the most dangerous conspirators weren’t the ones strutting the halls of Congress in horned fur hats and superhero costumes. They’re the ones quietly dismantling democracy in state capitols across the country. And they must be held to account too.
“The National Urban League and our affiliates across the country continue to lead the fight against voter suppression and election subversion at the national and state level and advocate for federal legislation to restore and protect voting rights.”
Indianapolis Urban League Responds to Senate Bill 167: Education matters
“Bill is a Veiled Effort to Address Critical Race Theory”
Indianapolis, IN (January 5, 2022) – Today, Indianapolis Urban League President and CEO Tony Mason issued the following statement in response to SB 167: Education Matters:
The Indianapolis Urban League is strongly opposed to legislation that undermines the teaching of African American history or potentially stifles diversity, equity, and inclusion in K-12 education.
SB 167 is a veiled effort to address critical race theory, a legal theory directed at criticizing the legal system for producing racist outcomes, which is not taught in K-12 education but rather in law school.
At a time where Indiana’s education system has been the most diverse it has ever been, we find it both odd and disappointing that the nature of the conversation we are having about the future of education in Indiana, in this opening legislative session, is anchored on a theory based on systems of legalities that produce racists results. At this moment, this committee should be laser-focused on addressing the significant and devastating racial achievement gaps on state standardized testing, as well as the poor performance of white students on those same tests; alternatively, by choice, we are sadly focused on what essentially is a non-issue as one of the first issues this committee will address this session.
No doubt the purpose of the legislation is for this committee to have a significant influence on the curriculum of school districts around the state instead of trusting trained professionals on the development of curriculum for our K-12 students and heeding to the curriculum advisory committee’s recommendation.
Based on what has been presented in SB 167, it stands to harm our community given that there was little to no outreach to African-Americans and other People of Color about this issue and it provides no recourse against the “whitewashing” of curriculum and ultimately history and culture.
Clearly, this bill was not designed to correct curriculums by including more perspectives but to revise curriculums by creating a system that could reduce the number of perspectives included in Indiana curriculums. SB 167 threatens to undermine the accepted protections of people of color who are the minority in most communities around the state—a foundational democratic principle in a multiracial democracy.
We believe the efforts to address critical race theory in K-12 education is a subterfuge for an attempt to undermine diversity, equity, and inclusion in schools. Contrary to the claims of supporters of SB 167, the efforts outlined in SB 167 are not intended to eliminate discussions and teachings that indoctrinate students, regardless of race, to feel “less than”. The efforts are a part of a nationwide strategy or playbook that will attempt to guarantee younger generations of White students learn as little as possible about the country’s true history, racism, and systems that cause inequalities and inequities to exist in our society; thus ensuring these younger generations of White students will likely be less moderate, liberal or even progressive in their thinking, their advocacy for racial equity, and voting.
In conclusion, we affirm the expansion of diversity, equity, and inclusion in K-12 education and do not believe SB 167 is designed to achieve this objective, but believe it is aimed at chilling the efforts of teachers throughout Indiana by limiting their ability to do their jobs and limiting the diversity of thought and inclusion on all fronts; ultimately, having a long-term impact on the economic viability of the State of Indiana and the quality of living for everyone who calls Indiana home. Email your elected representative as soon as possible to voice your concerns about this harmful legislation.
Tony Mason, President & CEO, Indianapolis Urban League
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Media Contact: Tony Mason, President & CEO, Indianapolis Urban League | (317) 693-7603 tmason@indplsul.org
About the 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
Indianapolis Urban League Statement on the Actions and Case of IMPD Sergeant Eric Huxley
INDIANAPOLIS – Today, the Indianapolis Urban League (IUL) applauds the executive actions and commitment to increased transparency taken by IMPD Chief Randal Taylor in the recently discovered and partially investigated case of Sergeant Eric Huxley and his abuse and stomping on the head of a prone, homeless, African American civilian, Mr. Jermaine Vaughn on September 24th of this year.
We are angered and deeply saddened by the video images from the body-worn camera footage released yesterday and our expressions of sympathy and support for Mr. Vaughn are beyond words.
The deliberate and unprincipled actions of Sergeant Huxley deprived Mr. Vaughn of his civil and constitutional rights, and the apparent silent accommodation of his actions by IMPD Sergeant Christopher Kibbey and Officer Matthew Shores is extremely disturbing to the Indianapolis community. Sergeant Huxley has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of his trial on felony charges. Should he not be convicted, the Indianapolis Urban League urges the IMPD Police Merit Board to support IMPD Chief Randal Taylor’s recommendation that Sergeant Huxley is terminated.
In this instance, the implementation of body-worn cameras and the release of the video footage demonstrate the beginning of necessary changes around transparency but Sergeant Huxley must be held accountable. Sergeant Kibbey and Officer Shores should be disciplined and held accountable for their failures as well. Failure to do so will only lead to more instances of officers failing to quickly intervene when a fellow officer has violated policies and laws in interactions and confrontations with citizens.
The Indianapolis Urban League remains committed to advocating for improved transparency and accountability for police actions in our community. It is imperative that IMPD, the Police Merit Board and Use of Force Review Board continue to address ongoing community concerns regarding the use of force, departmental discipline, and overall departmental policies that have contributed to a rising level of disconnect and mistrust between the officers and employees of the department and the Indianapolis community particularly African Americans and other people of color. Failure to do so will only deepen the divide in our community making it more difficult to implement other changes underway that could lead to better police and community relations.
Tony Mason, President & CEO, Indianapolis Urban League
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Contact: Tony Mason, President & CEO, Indianapolis Urban League | (317) 693-7603 tmason@indplsul.org
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
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 11, 2021) – Today, National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial issued the following statement in response to the Senate’s passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework yesterday:
“Today, we applaud the Senate’s passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which passed the Senate by a vote of 69-30. This historic $1.2 trillion federal investment will create new jobs, connect millions of American children, families, and communities to affordable and reliable high-speed internet, and provide much-needed support to minority-owned businesses. It represents the biggest federal investment in infrastructure this country has seen in a generation.
“We are pleased that the Senate bill includes several recommendations reflected in the National Urban League’s Main Street Marshall Plan and Lewis Latimer Plan for Digital Equity and Inclusion. The National Urban League has fought tirelessly for these priorities, and others, to be included in the infrastructure package:
$65 billion to increase access to broadband in hard-to-reach rural communities and low-income urban areas including $14 billion for the Affordable Connectivity Program that provides a $30 monthly benefit to participating households, and $2.75 billion for digital equity and inclusion programs;
Increased support for Minority-owned businesses by making the Minority Business Development Agency under the Department of Commerce permanent and expanding the agency’s capacity to develop and sustain Minority-owned businesses while helping to build a diverse pipeline of entrepreneurial talent;
Allocating funding to minority business development grants for community and national nonprofit organizations, which would be instrumental in the nation’s effort to restore Minority-owned businesses impacted by the pandemic and give aspiring entrepreneurs the tools they need to succeed; and
650,000 in new, high-skill, high-paying jobs to provide much-needed support to underserved workers who have lost jobs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This legislation will help restore the middle class, build generational wealth, and increase the quality of life for all Americans. It will also help revitalize America’s infrastructure and give workers, families, students, and small businesses the tools they need to succeed in the 21st century.
“We urge the House to swiftly consider this bill and the forthcoming budget reconciliation bill, which will invest in America’s human infrastructure. Together, these measures will ensure that the nation emerges from the pandemic into a new normal where all Americans have the opportunity for economic prosperity.”
IUL REBUTS ROKITA’S DIVISIVE PARENTS BILL OF RIGHTS
AND MANIPULATION OF CRITICAL RACE THEORY
Indianapolis (Tuesday, August 3, 20210) – Seldom in the history of the Indianapolis Urban League (IUL) have we and our constituents been confronted by such an existential threat that imperils our foundational and fundamental rights as American citizens. The current political environment at the local, state and national levels of government and society jeopardizes all of the hard-fought victories paid for with the sacrificial blood of those who believe in equality for all.
The most recent manifestation of these threats comes in an innocuously titled tract developed by Attorney General Todd Rokita called the Parents Bill of Rights (PBR). The PBR characterizes any attempt at efforts to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion in classrooms as a negative “outside” influence. The document uses Critical Race Theory (CRT), as an imprecise catch-all phrase and loosely defined term, to falsely claim and imply that liberals and diversity advocates espouse the belief that America is fundamentally racist.
Mr. Rokita intentionally ignores and mischaracterizes the major provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to fit his warped views and interpretations of the law and the realities faced by students of color. Amazingly, Mr. Rokita even fails to mention that ESSA is a federal civil rights law! ESSA was supported by many Republicans, including Rokita, who helped steer its passage and enactment, because of its emphasis on state and local power and its limitations on federal control.
Mr. Rokita, whose office is supposed to represent the legal interests of ALL Hoosiers, through the PBR and in other documented actions, is using the PBR to infer that any interpretation or teaching of history that differs from his own selective interpretation is “…politically affiliated classroom discussion.” Furthermore, Mr. Rokita urges parents to…“contact their child’s school district when controversial political or social ideologies are brought into Indiana classrooms.” In doing so, he has substituted his judgment for that of historians and he is intentionally creating an atmosphere where any discussion of diversity, equity, and inclusion will be deemed as promoting division based on race.
Mr. Rokita’s office budget is in excess of $42 million and he is unethically using the money of all taxpayers to subsidize his advance “campaign” for governor and to appeal politically to the most extremist elements of “conservative” Republicans, locally and statewide. Additionally, he is spearheading a nationwide effort by state attorney generals in 20 other states to ban diversity, equity, and inclusion and other educational activities that they claim impose the teaching of critical race theory as outlined in a 10-page letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on May 19th, 2021. The letter opposes the U.S. Department of Education’s plans to provide grants for American history and civic education programs with curriculums that teach diversity and the effects of “systemic” inequality.
Ultimately, Mr. Rokita and the other radical state attorney general’s seek to give themselves the power to decide and define what is the sole proper and accurate understanding of American history in relation to Blacks, our historically unique paths to citizenship, and the realities of both de-jure (racially motivated public policies) and de-facto (racial isolation independent of state action) segregation and racism.
The truth is Critical Race Theory is not currently being taught in schools from the elementary to secondary level anywhere in public schools in Indiana or in the United States.In fact, it has never been taught at that level.It is a graduate-level course of study.
In Mr. Rokita’s political mind, however, acknowledging the REALITIES of the consequences of slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, redlining, gerrymandering, voting prohibitions as well as the many documented but untaught contributions of Black Americans in spite of our trauma is the same as trying to “. . . endorse teaching factually deficient history and will, in practice, lead to racial and ethnic division and indeed more discrimination.”
The Indianapolis Urban League is a non-profit, non-partisan human services agency with an emphasis on promoting civil rights and positive relations among the various races and ethnicities that make America great. The IUL is not opposed to any officeholder solely on the basis of their political affiliation or their individual “conservative” or “liberal” ideology. However, the IUL reserves the right to hold accountable any individual or group who cynically and intentionally inflame tension and division and seek to destroy positive relations between residents of different races, ethnicities, identities, backgrounds, and beliefs. We will do so without fear of intimidation or retaliation! The Indianapolis Urban League encourages Indianapolis and Central Indiana residents and especially our individual, civic, corporate, and faith-based supporters, and government officials of all races to stand courageously with us and other organizations that promote civil rights, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Directly express your concerns to “political leaders” who perpetuate misinformation about CRT to divide us or to whitewash history or current events. Such unethical and false manipulations must not go unchallenged. Failure to lift your voices, leverage your privilege and exercise your power now, will undermine our collective and your individual work towards equality and equity and to undo the damage of a history untaught and untold.
Tony Mason
President and CEO
Indianapolis Urban League
By National Urban League, Published 05 AM EDT, Fri Jul 23, 2021
Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League
“The lie of massive, rampant voter fraud is serving the same function today as it did during the rise of Jim Crow. It stokes fear in a segment of the population that democracy is in peril, and thus provides cover for laws that target Black voters with race-neutral language in the 21st century.” — Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel, NAACP Legal Defense Fund
Meet Jimmy Crow.
You may remember Jimmy’s grandfather, Jim Crow. Jim sometimes wore a hood and a robe, and sometimes a sheriff’s badge. He administered incomprehensible “literacy tests” to Black citizens trying to register to vote. He clubbed John Lewis nearly to death on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The n-word flowed freely from Jim’s lips.
You may remember Jimmy’s father, James Crow, Esquire. James wore a suit and a tie instead of a robe and hood. He drew gerrymandered congressional and legislative districts to dilute the power of the Black vote. James would never utter the n-word – at least not in public. Instead, he would winkingly refer to “states’ rights” and “welfare queens.”
Jimmy Crow wears a golf shirt and khaki pants. He carries a tiki torch in place of a burning cross. Jimmy’s not content with suppressing and diluting the Black vote; he wants the power to ignore election results altogether if he doesn’t like the outcome. He fiercely guards the symbols of white supremacy his grandfather erected on town squares and courthouse grounds to intimidate Black Americans. He rants about “replacement theory” and “the purity of the ballot box.”
Like his grandfather, Jimmy Crow is not just willing but eager to use violence to enforce his white supremacist ideology. After neo-Nazi sympathizer James Alex Fields, Jr., killed counter-protestor Heather Heyer by driving his car into a crowd at the 2017 “Unite the Right Rally” at least six states proposed laws to protect drivers who emulate Fields. In a single month last year, at least 72 drivers rammed their cars into protesters in 52 different cities.
Insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6 assaulted about 140 police officers, bashing their heads, shoving them down stairs, stabbing them with metal poles, and blasting them with pepper spray.
Jimmy Crow is unrepentant for this revolting brutality, or for the racist lies that provoked it. Just hours after their colleagues’ lives were threatened and rioters openly called for Vice President Pence to be hanged, 147 members of Congress voted to overturn the results of a free and fair Presidential election.
Jimmy Crow doesn’t hide his conviction that the votes of Black and Brown Americans should not necessarily be counted. Dozens of lawsuits challenging the election results sought to invalidate votes in communities of color, particularly African American communities. In Michigan, the challenges focused on in Detroit, where nearly 80% of the population is Black. In Wisconsin, it was Milwaukee County, home to the state’s largest percentage of voters of color. Philadelphia, another target, is 58% Black and Latino.
If Jimmy Crow doesn’t succeed in cancelling the Black and Brown votes, he thinks he should be able to disregard the results of an election entirely. An Arizona state lawmaker has proposed that the Legislature to decide who wins the state’s electoral votes, regardless of the popular vote.
In 1964 and 1965, the nation triumphed over Jim Crow by enacting the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. We dealt a blow to James Crow, Esq., in the 2008 presidential election, when the Black voting rate exceeded the white rate for the first time in U.S. history – and repeated the feat in 2012.
To fight their descendant Jimmy Crow, Congress must pass, and President Biden must sign the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and The For the People Act. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would restore Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, struck down in 2013 by the U.S. Supreme Court in Shelby v. Holder, that required federal approval for any changes to voting laws in jurisdictions with a history of voter suppression. Among the For The People Act’s sweeping provisions, it eliminates racially-motivated voter suppression tactics like cumbersome voter registration requirements, strict I.D. requirements, limited voting hours and restrictions on voting by mail. It bans deceptive practices and voter intimidation. And it bans the partisan gerrymandering that dilutes the political influence of communities of color.
As former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder testified to a Senate Committee in support of the bill, “Now is the time for Congress to exercise its constitutional authority to protect the structure of our representative democracy. Otherwise, we will slip deeper into a system in which self-interested politicians use the tools of governance to keep themselves in power with no regard for the desires of the people they are supposed to represent.”
AACI STATEMENT SUPPORTINGDIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION, AND IBE EDUCATION CONFERENCE
INDIANAPOLIS (July 13, 2021) – The African American Coalition of Indianapolis (AACI) has observed with alarm and trepidation the efforts of certain media, politicians, and social commentators, who seem intent on further fracturing political discourse, disseminating false narratives, and otherwise creating division between citizens. Some are distorting well-conceived efforts in education, business, local and state governments, and religious bodies to correct documented inequities, policies, and practices that disenfranchised African Americans, women, Native Americans, and other citizens in the United States.
Rather than applauding efforts to make American history more inclusive of all its diverse citizens, they want to “whitewash” and again bury now acknowledged historical incidents in history. They also inaccurately suggest that teaching hatred of white Americans is the underlying philosophy of most academics and advocates who believe past and current racist practices and prejudicial attitudes toward Black people must be addressed and changed.
These same forces are stirring up conflict, confusion, and hatred by misrepresenting mainstream notions of diversity and equity. These entities are attempting to sanitize American history and demonize efforts to create more equitable environments for all by pressuring and intimidating public officials, universities, foundations, and other funding sources. They are specifically targeting those who support the training and education of teachers, police, government employees, and those who are committed to increasing the understanding of all ethnic groups, genders, and physical and emotional conditions that will ensure every citizen experience fair, impartial, and effective treatment.
An example of this attempt is how the Indiana Black Expo Education Conference, which is planned by a multi-ethnic group of educators and supported by a diverse group of public and private funders, is being portrayed. For nearly 14 years, this conference has featured speakers and workshops which provide participating teachers and administrators the best thinking, classroom practices, and educational materials to help them build greater awareness of the life experiences of diverse students and their families. The conference also provides resources for those educators to aid in increasing cultural competency necessary in understanding the educational experience of all students, not just students of color. Participants are provided with real-world approaches creating greater insight into student management, strategies to improve student achievement, and receive materials that reflect the diversity of students in their classrooms. Speakers present a variety of perspectives, as should be expected in an intellectual exchange of ideas. As with most conferences, some speakers’ ideas are accepted and incorporated into teachers’ thinking and practice, while others are left at the event as incompatible and unusable. Education, not indoctrination, is the purpose of this conference.
We applaud and support Indiana Black Expo for its efforts to equip more than 5,000 teachers around the world, with the majority of attendees being from Indiana. The 2021 conference just as it was in 2020 will be held virtually. Registrations are still being accepted and we urge those who have concerns to attend and gain an understanding of what is being shared and be a part of the conversation about diversity in education.
AACI further asks those who have the conviction and courage to hear all voices, to trust our educators, elected school boards, parents, and students. We must help them push back against and not be intimidated by reactionary forces seeking to divide our communities. We must remain steadfast in our efforts to create environments that will empower students and increase their abilities to learn, excel and become contributing members of our city, state, and nation. We all want what is best for all because we know the common good is best achieved when every person has the opportunity to succeed.
100 Black Men of Indianapolis
Alpha Mu Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Center for Black Literature and Culture
Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Indianapolis Alumnae Chapter
Indianapolis Recorder Indianapolis Urban League
Indy Black Chamber of Commerce Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance
Iota Lambda Chapter Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. Alpha Alpha Omega Indianapolis Alumni Chapter
Martin University
National Council of Negro Women, Indianapolis Section
Purpose 4 My Pain
The Exchange at the Indianapolis Urban League
The Indianapolis Chapter of the National Drifters, Inc.
The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Indianapolis Chapter
Top Ladies of Distinction, Indianapolis Chapter
Young Men, Inc.
About the African American Coalition of Indianapolis:
The African American Coalition of Indianapolis (AACI) is a non-partisan collaboration of 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.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – (May 4, 2021) Today, the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana (FHCCI) and Carlette Duffy announce the filing of fair housing complaints with the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) alleging housing discrimination due to race and color in the appraisal and lending process.
In 2020, Carlette Duffy, an African American resident of Indianapolis, began the process of refinancing her then-current mortgage. With decreasing interest rates and escalating home sales prices throughout Indianapolis, Ms. Duffy anticipated that her home’s value had increased since her purchase three years prior. At the time, she estimated her home’s value at $185,000.
In March and April 2020, Ms. Duffy worked with CityWide Mortgage and the appraiser Jeffrey Pierce of Pierce Appraisal Inc. To her surprise, they only valued her home at $125,000. The lender encouraged her to provide comps to challenge this low appraisal value of her home to determine if there had been mistakes made in the appraisal. Ms. Duffy purchased a market analysis for her home which concluded a possible list price of $187,000. She provided the analysis to the lender. The lender stated they had reviewed the documentation she had provided and the appraised amount would not change.
Between May and July 2020, Ms. Duffy interacted with her then-lender Freedom Mortgage about refinancing. She was assigned the appraiser Tim Boston of Appraisal Network. An appraisal was conducted which valued her home at $110,000. This amount was very near her purchase price of
$100,000 three years prior, despite a hot sales market. Again, Ms. Duffy challenged this appraisal and provided her market analysis. Again, she was told that no changes would be made. Ms. Duffy explained, “I felt completely defeated.”
“At the time Ms. Duffy was attempting to refinance, home values throughout Indianapolis were rising dramatically. There were multiple offers being made on home listings,” stated Amy Nelson, Executive Director of the FHCCI. “Ms. Duffy had a newly renovated home. She was a Black female. She lived in a historically African American neighborhood. She questioned if her race or color or that of her neighborhood was impacting how her home was being valued and the comps being used. Ms. Duffy did not give up. Instead, she did what fair housing organizations across the country have been doing to root out fair housing violations – she conducted a fair housing test.”
After her credit had recovered from the previous refinancing attempts, in October and November 2020, Ms. Duffy reached out to a new lender. This time, she did not declare her race or gender as part of the application process like she had with the previous lenders. When she was assigned an appraiser, she kept the interaction to email with no phone interaction. She took down the photos of herself and her family and removed her African American art and any books which might identify her race. She told the appraiser that she was going to be out of town and that her brother would meet the appraiser. She then had a White friend pose as her brother and meet the appraiser while she stayed away from her home.
On November 4, 2020, an appraisal was conducted. About two days later, she received a copy of her appraisal which valued her home at $259,000. Upon seeing that amount, Ms. Duffy first screamed with joy. But then the hurt set in of how she had had to erase herself from her home in order to get a value that was fair and accurate. Ms. Duffy reported her experiences to the FHCCI who opened an investigation.
“In the past year, we have heard stories across our country of African Americans questioning the appraisal process and the values assigned to their homes,” stated Noe Rojas, Director of Systemic Investigations at the FHCCI. “A recent study supports this questioning in finding that in the average U.S. metropolitan area, homes in neighborhoods where the share of the population is 50 percent Black, are valued at roughly half the price as homes in neighborhoods with no Black residents. This shows how systemic racism continues to haunt neighborhoods of color.”
Ms. Duffy and the FHCCI allege in the HUD complaints that the Respondents have violated fair housing laws by allowing race and color to impact their appraisals and/or lending practices. As part of these filings, HUD will conduct an investigation to determine any violations of law.
The FHCCI needs your help.
? If you live in Indianapolis and feel you may have been discriminated against in a recent home
appraisal, please contact our office to complete an interview. Contact the FHCCI at info@fhcci.org
or 317-644-0673 x1004.
To learn more about this filing, visit our News Page. To learn more about how discrimination may impact
home appraisals, go to the FHCCI Appraisals Education Page.
_____________________________________________
The Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana (FHCCI) is a private, non-profit 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. For more
information, visit: www.fhcci.org
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.
Since its launch last July, Indianapolis’ $96.1 million program to provide emergency rental assistance has helped thousands of residents stay housed in the midst of the pandemic’s economic fallout.
As program administrators at 13 local not-for-profits continue to whittle down a long waiting list, the program, dubbed IndyRent, is only weeks from opening to a fresh wave of applicants in early July—just in time to get help to renters before a federal eviction moratorium ends at the close of that month.
Since July 2020, IndyRent has distributed nearly $46 million in federal COVID-19 relief funding as rent payments to nearly 21,000 households. There’s at least $50 million more to distribute.
James Taylor
The massive program started to come together in May 2020, when the city approached the John Boner Neighborhood Centers, a near-east side not-for-profit that leads administration for the Marion County Energy Assistance Program.
“I got a text from Deputy Mayor [Jeff] Bennett,” said James Taylor, the organization’s CEO. “He approached me and he approached Tony Mason at the Indianapolis Urban League, so we began a dialogue. I immediately had our outside IT team begin working on this idea, as to how we would set up something that could handle a large volume of documents, a large volume of people working on the system, all the ins and outs necessary to be able to do a rental-assistance program.”
The bulk of the system behind IndyRent was put together in two months, with the program opening to applications July 13. That was four months after Indiana shut down under Gov. Eric Holcomb’s original stay-at-home order.
Jeff Bennett
“Fundamentally, the guts and the mechanics of the system was developed during that 60-day rush,” Taylor said. “And if you remember back in May of last year, everybody’s head was still spinning, because we didn’t know what we were in the middle of and how catastrophic it could become.”
Marion County unemployment insurance claims topped 10,000 by mid-March 2020, then 15,000 by mid-April, according to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development—3,000% and 4,000% increases from the same weeks in 2019.
“The pandemic has really brought to light how vulnerable communities are disproportionately, disparately impacted by the pandemic, and renters have been particularly vulnerable,” Bennett said.
Meeting demand
IndyRent received more than 10,000 applications in its first three days. Thousands of them went to a waiting list that took the Boner Center and a network of a dozen other not-for-profits months to work through.
When administrators caught up in autumn, the program reopened to new applications. It ran until the original federal CARES Act spending deadline of December. The program’s waiting list racked up another 10,000 applicants through this April, when the program relaunched, this time with federal CARES Act II funding.
This year’s edition of the program had processed nearly 5,800 applications as of June 15, totaling $12 million in aid, according to Bennett. Around $500,000 gets approved every day, he added.
It’s taken program administrators weeks to get the most recent waiting list down to 2,000 sign-ups, according to Taylor, with about 1,000 more to get through before IndyRent opens to more applications.
The Boner Center alone has about 26 people dedicated to running the program, many of them temporary staff brought on for the occasion. Another dozen local not-for-profits also process applications and issue checks, including Christamore House, Community Alliance of the Far Eastside, Concord Neighborhood Center, Edna Martin Christian Center, Flanner House, Fay Biccard Glick Neighborhood Center, Hawthorne Community Center, Indianapolis Urban League, La Plaza, Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center, Martin Luther King Community Center and Southeast Community Services.
IndyRent is highly localized, and that’s by design, according to Taylor. When a resident submits an application, it gets routed to the organization that covers that person’s area, if applicable, to connect the resident with other resources the organization offers. If someone lives in an area not served by one of 11 organizations, the application goes to the Boner Center (people east of Meridian Street) or to the Indianapolis Urban League (people west of Meridian Street).
Despite the complicated coordination and time it takes to keep IndyRent running, all of the federal money is going straight to rental assistance. A $5 million Lilly Endowment grant is taking care of the administrative and technology costs, with “a considerable amount” left to spend, according to Taylor. Each of the not-for-profits administering the program gets reimbursed $83 in agency time for every completed application.
Groups like the Immigrant Welcome Center are also doing specialized outreach, helping some residents with technology access or completion of the online application itself, while other organizations are promoting the service and connecting their own clients to rental assistance, Taylor said.
Just in time?
Holcomb instituted a statewide eviction moratorium on March 19, 2020. From April to July, eviction filings in Indianapolis dropped to 0% to 4% of the city’s three-year historical average, according to Princeton University’s Eviction Lab. As soon as the moratorium ended on Aug. 14, filings jumped to 66% of the average.
Now, a national eviction moratorium that began in September is set to end July 31, worrying housing advocates. The moratorium was set to expire June 30, but on Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control pushed it back a month, in what the agency said “is intended to be the final extension of the moratorium.”
“Some of [our clients] have had eviction hearings or have had an eviction filed against them in the city pushed [back] for over a year, so we have a lot of cases that are just ready to go after June 30,” said Brandon Beeler, Housing Law Center director at Indiana Legal Services, who spoke before the CDC announced its monthlong extension.
“And some people [landlords] haven’t filed, so there will possibly be an increase in filings on top of the hundreds of cases that have been pending,” Beeler said.
IndyRent’s reopening to new applications in July could help fill the gap in Indianapolis when the moratorium ends.
The program could help more residents than ever, as this year’s federal funding allows governments to pay tenants directly when their landlords don’t respond to a program application or decline to participate.
Program administrators couldn’t process 9,266 applications last year, according to the city, when governments were allowed to give the funds only to landlords.
The Boner Center and its IT consultant are working to fit that new function into the website. A pilot of about 200 applicants with uncooperative landlords is set to begin soon, Taylor said, with hopes of giving all applicants the option later in July.
To 2025 and beyond
As Indianapolis looks to shift from an emergency-oriented pandemic response to long-term recovery, local tenants might be able to count on a rental assistance program for future help.
The city joined forces with national housing organization Grounded Solutions in June 2019 to tackle high pre-pandemic eviction and displacement rates, alongside a lack of quality affordable housing. The first proposal in a policy agenda issued this April was to make the new program permanent.
“The pandemic blew up all the old models of relief and put us in a position where we now have [had] this community-wide rental assistance program for the better part of the last 12 months. And now we know how to do it,” Bennett said. “It becomes a matter of ongoing maintenance of [the] system, identifying ongoing sources of funding to continue to be able to operate at scale and the ability to add additional partners over future years.”
In 2020, the program ran with $33.8 million from the CARES Act’s Coronavirus Relief Fund, according to the city. This year, IndyRent is using the CARES Act II’s Emergency Rental Assistance fund and had about $17 million of the $28.8 million total left to spend as of mid-June. The federal spending deadline is September 2022.
And when Indianapolis’ City-County Council enters its budget-crafting season in August, city leaders hope to get another $33.5 million approved from the American Rescue Plan Act’s Emergency Rental Assistance Fund. That money wouldn’t need to be used until September 2025.
Indy plans to exhaust the CARES II dollars before touching the American Rescue Plan funding, Bennett said, but also hopes to snatch up any reallocated federal money that other cities and states didn’t spend.
“It’s our understanding that, at some point, there’ll be an accounting of cities across the country, and states across the country, that have underspent CARES Act II,” Bennett said. “If that money can get reallocated, then we’d like to get our hands on some.”
There isn’t yet a timeframe or framework for the permanent version of IndyRent since the city is still knee-deep in its pandemic response, according to Office of Public Health and Safety spokeswoman Caroline Ellert.
But the Boner Center’s work as the city’s fiscal agent might not go beyond the 2025 federal spending deadline, which would mark the official end of the original IndyRent.
“We kind of fell into the role, and our reason for doing that was because of the economic fallout of the pandemic,” Taylor said. “If we stay in the role we currently have, I’ve got an additional question that my board is going to need to decide … because we are a near-eastside organization. We do some services that are countywide, but we have to balance out the needs of our particular community.”
Still, the permanent program would be a game-changer, advocates agreed.
“We all have tough times in life,” said the Housing Law Center’s Beeler. “Because someone has a bad month, they have a health issue or their child becomes sick, it should not be the end of this person’s economic liberty to be able to afford a home—or possibly face eviction, get behind on other bills, have a [bad] credit history and swing into the cycle of poverty.”
Taylor said housing stability is fundamental to getting out of poverty.
“Practically every other tool in our toolbox is irrelevant,” he said, “if a family doesn’t have stable housing.”•
The print version of this story was written before the federal eviction moratorium was extended to July 31. The web version reflects the extension.
MELTON COMMENTS ON ATTORNEY GENERAL ROKITA’S CRITICAL RACE THEORY REMARKS
“I was extremely disturbed after reading Attorney General Rokita’s remarks on Critical Race Theory (CRT) in his ‘Parents Bill of Rights.’” Senator Melton said. “History classes in the United States have long excluded certain parts of United States history that are hard to face. We can only move forward as a unified nation, with actual justice for all, if citizens are taught all of our history.
“CRT is a concept that has been around for over 40 years and is only now making the news because politicians have started using it to push a national agenda to block progress on inclusion and diversity. Parts of this theory have been in history curriculum for decades, and it simply teaches students that prejudice didn’t end with slavery but at times has also been built into legal systems and policies.
“For example, government officials have historically drawn lines around predominantly minority neighborhoods, known as redlining, and deemed them ‘poor financial risk.’ This resulted in banks refusing mortgages to Black families, denying them the opportunity to be homeowners and resulting in Black families building financial equity at a devastatingly disproportionate rate compared to white families.” Melton explained.
“We can only fix these sorts of policies if our future policymakers and attorneys learn about them in school. This nation cannot hide from its history of racism, and we cannot move past the racism that continues to permeate our country until we acknowledge and address its systemic roots.
“That understanding is partially why I was so disturbed when reading the disparaging comments about CRT in the ‘Parents Bill of Rights,’ because it suggests an aversion to acknowledging that truth and working to move past our country’s historic racism.
“I encourage Attorney General Rokita, as a leader of our diverse Hoosier state, to reexamine his statements on CRT and revise his ‘Parents Bill of Rights’ to retract the discriminatory and false claims that were made. I also want to encourage him to meet with me and the other members of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus to discuss this issue further and to get a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of CRT.”
