Black faith leaders: Time to get ‘uncomfortable’ to create change

(MIRROR INDY) — Amid growing concerns over youth violence, substance use and fatal police shootings, an alliance of Black faith leaders is building a political movement.

The Black Church Coalition, an Indianapolis-based grassroots organization comprising Black faith leaders and community groups, announced an ambitious policy agenda Thursday, April 4 that includes increasing transparency at the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, creating a harm reduction crisis team to address rising drug overdoses and raising taxes on Marion County’s wealthiest residents — a tall order given the Republican stronghold at the Statehouse.

Anticipating a reduction in the state budget next year, the coalition also plans to increase pressure on Democratic lawmakers to push for investments in public safety, infrastructure and health initiatives.

As a nonprofit entity, the group can’t directly endorse candidates for public office or support political causes, so it’s forming a political action committee to serve as a vehicle to fund candidates in local and statewide elections.

The coalition recently announced a partnership with Live Free USA, a national group that offers training and tools for local organizations that want to curb community violence and shape public policy.

The group is also making demands of local officials and community leaders — and holding them accountable when they don’t show up.

“Mayor Joe Hogsett’s strategy for dealing with the Statehouse … is to run and hide,” said Jordan Patterson, a member of the coalition’s central committee, alluding to comments Hogsett made earlier this year. “You would think that we’re the supermajority tonight given his absence, but we cannot afford to run and hide.”

Hogsett did not respond to Mirror Indy’s requests for a comment Friday afternoon. 

About 200 people came to the northside Light of the World Christian Church for a Black Church Coalition summit focused on creating safe and healthy communities. During prepared remarks, speakers asked questions directly of some public officials who were in attendance.

Sen. Andrea Hunley, D-Indianapolis, committed to authoring legislation in 2025 that would seek to “bring equity” to Indiana’s tax structure.

A state and local tax review task force plans to issue its own recommendations for modernizing Indiana’s tax system, which could result in legislation in the 2025 budget session, though it almost certainly will run counter to Hunley’s goals. 

Sen. Travis Holdman, a powerful Republican lawmaker who chairs the committee, has said he wants to eventually eliminate the state’s income tax altogether, which would leave an $8 billion hole in the state budget.

Furthermore, making up for the loss in revenue could involve raising sales or property taxes, which would disproportionately impact poor Hoosiers, according to tax policy experts.

An empty chair

As speakers stepped up to the podium Thursday to outline the group’s policy agenda, one person was conspicuously absent from the summit.

A placard taped to an empty chair on stage bore the name of Hogsett, who was invited to the event but did not attend. 

Beside the chair sat Hunley and Chris Bailey, the newly appointed Indianapolis police chief who hopes to repair the department’s fractured relationship with the Black community.

The mayor’s absence provided fodder for the group to drive home its message that its concerns were being ignored. 

“There’s a lot of tension in the room, right? And that’s intentional, because nothing ever comes about with ease,” said Darrell Brooks, a pastor at the far eastside New Liberty Missionary Baptist Church. “I know some of the word choices and the language that we use made some of you uncomfortable, and that is intentional. We’re going to continue to make folks uncomfortable because that’s how anything gets done.

“(Hogsett) is not here, but he is not off the hook,” he added.

Looking on from the front row was Vop Osili, president of the City-County Council, alongside first-term council members Brienne Delaney and Jesse Brown. All three are Democrats.

Hogsett, a Democrat who comfortably won reelection to a third term last year, has had a frayed relationship with Black leaders within his own party, who took issue with the Marion County Democratic Party’s “slating” process, a system they said rewarded favoritism and disenfranchised candidates of color. 

Under mounting pressure, the party ended the practice of pre-primary endorsements, but internal strife continues to afflict the ruling party in Marion County.

[Marion County’s voting machines are ready for the election.]

Rep. Robin Shackleford, D-Indianapolis, ran against Hogsett in the 2023 primary, capturing 38% of the vote to Hogsett’s 58% despite a wide fundraising gap. Hogsett went on to defeat Republican Jefferson Shreve, a former city-county councilor, in the general election by a similar margin.

Carl McDonald, a retired engineer at Cummins who has been working for the coalition for the past two years, said he was disappointed by the mayor’s absence Thursday, but he remains hopeful that the two sides can reconcile their differences.

“I’m still optimistic there’s an opportunity for us to collaborate,” he said, “and find avenues to work together and solve these problems.”

Peter Blanchard covers local government. Reach him at 317-605-4836 or peter.blanchard@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @peterlblanchard.