Dear Indy,
Only about 1,100 Black-owned businesses were operating in the Indianapolis metro area, according to recent census data.
That falls about 6,000 businesses short, if the percentage of Black-owned companies in the area were to match its percentage of Black residents, according to a Brookings Institute analysis.
But some parts of the city are working to change that.
The AMP at 16 Tech — which also happens to be home to Mirror Indy’s new offices! — has emerged as a welcome space for businesses owned by people of color and women.
“The support has been tremendous,” said Dionne Butler, who is carrying on his parents’ legacy by running a Butler’s Pizza at the AMP. “The way they set this up is really, really nice. It gives people a chance.”
If you haven’t visited the marketplace and food hall yet, then you might want to check out our latest article.
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In other news
- In our latest Culture Journal, Indy actor Bryan G. Ball rehearses for a play, volunteers for homelessness prevention and finds romance. Read it here.
- Tomorrow the Community Alliance of the Far Eastside is holding a free health fair focused on women’s health, including prenatal and postpartum care. The fair is important because Indiana has the third highest maternal mortality rate. Get the details about the fair here.
What’s going on around the city
- Tomorrow, March 9: The Indianapolis Zen Center, 3703 N. Washington Blvd., hosts Free, Friendly Outdoor Saturday Yoga at 8:30 a.m. People of every experience level are invited to attend in comfortable clothing. Free.
- Tomorrow, March 9: Classical music fans can catch a free concert from the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis at the Madam Walker Theatre, 617 Indiana Ave., starting at 2:30 p.m. The competition will be joined by 2014 Gold Medalist Jinjoo Cho, who went on to found the ENCORE Chamber Music Institute in Ohio.
- Sunday, March 10: Starting at noon, you can try your hand at painting “Cherry Blossom Mountain” during the Fountain Square Paint Party at Wine and Canvas Greater Indianapolis, 1043 Virginia Ave. Professional artists will be on-hand to help you step-by-step through the process. Tickets are $39.
— Breanna Cooper, arts and culture reporter
Looking for other things to do? Check out Mirror Indy’s events calendar.
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What else we’re reading today
- Fox59: Curtis Hill, the former Indiana Attorney General, was not invited to a Fox59/CBS4 debate later this month because he failed to meet a polling threshold of 5%. The one-hour debate, which will be the first in the Republican race for governor, is set for 7 p.m. March 26.
- Indiana Capital Chronicle: A bill continues to advance that would restrict the ability of Indiana’s Public Access Counselor, which is a role in state government designed to improve public access to government meetings and records. The surprise restriction came in the form of an amendment added to an unrelated bill with almost no opportunity for public testimony.
- CNN: The Biden Administration moved to cap credit card late fees at $8, down from an average of $32, as part of a wider effort to combat junk fees. The change is coming in the form of a regulation by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, though some (including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce) are already lining up to fight the rule.
Reporter’s Notebook: Carley Lanich
Two weeks ago, I sat in on Sabrina Tiggs’ Black history class. It’s an elective offered to eighth graders at Belzer Middle School — and there’s not many like it. In fact, Tiggs had to advocate to teach the class and create her own curriculum, since most Black history courses, where they do exist, are taught at the high school level.
Tiggs says it’s an opportunity for students in the Lawrence Township middle school, which is 52% Black, to see themselves reflected in their learning. It also brings the kind of enthusiasm for education you can only describe after being in class to witness it yourself.
For education reporters, getting into classrooms to see learning up close has always been tough. Busy testing windows and a desire to keep students on task can make welcoming guests a heavy lift for teachers. And, growing school safety concerns and COVID-era visitor restrictions only add to the challenge.
That often means school board meetings, unfortunately, are the closest reporters like me can get to the classroom.
Mirror Indy wants to change that. While it would be unreasonable to ask teachers to allow dozens of people to sit in on class during instructional time, our reporting allows that to happen. By sharing stories like Tiggs’, we hope to take readers with us into the classroom to better understand the ways our kids are learning, the challenges educators encounter and how we as a community can support the next generation of Indy leaders.
Sounds fun, right? If you’re an educator, volunteer or are otherwise engaged in schools, I want to hear from you! Message me at carley.lanich@mirrorindy.org. I’d love to hear all about — and better yet, see — what you’re working on in the classroom.
— Carley Lanich, K-12 education reporter
Have a question or suggestion for our reporters? Contact them here.
Reflections
PSA: Daylight saving time is 2 a.m. Sunday. Our clocks will move ahead an hour, which will give us more sunshine during our typical waking hours.
But first? You gotta sacrifice an hour of sleep Sunday. Sorry.
Ryan
P.S. If you liked something about today’s newsletter, or didn’t, let me know at ryan.martin@mirrorindy.org. It helps us serve you better
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