Dear Indy,
Three Indianapolis nonprofits got together and asked a question.
Rather than relying on programming or donations to help people, what if we gave them money directly?
And that led to the test of a universal basic income program. For 18 months, a small group of residents received $500 each month, no strings attached.
The money helped 29-year-old eastsider Janeceia Harris navigate a rough time.
Raising three kids as a single mom. Ubering to work at the airport after her car broke down. Trying to move because rent was too expensive.
“I was going through a lot,” Harris said. “It came right on time.”
Continue reading the article here.
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In other news
- Count me among the Whovians who was unaware that one of the largest Doctor Who stores in the world is in our own backyard. In a new feature, westside reporter Enrique Saenz details everything you can find in the store/museum and why owner Keith Bradbury started it years ago: “It’s everything I wanted to find as a kid that I couldn’t.”
- As part of its efforts to support a healthy democracy, Glick Philanthropies has awarded $100,000 to Free Press Indiana, the parent nonprofit for Mirror Indy. The money will support our Indy Documenters program that trains and pays residents to take notes at public meetings, as well as a planned election project in rural Indiana.
- Indy Documenters attended a Municipal Corporations Committee meeting last week, where they learned about the preliminary approval of a two-year renewal for the public health department’s syringe exchange program. More than 4,000 people have been helped through the program, according to the Documenters notes. The renewal will next head to the full City-County Council for final approval.
What’s going on around the city
- Tonight: At Dream Palace Books & Coffee, 111 E 16th St., artist Stuart Snoddy and I will discuss painting, aesthetics, imagination and more at 6 p.m. Although Stuart paints from his imagination, his paintings feel as if they exist in this world. Art Talk is free and all ages are welcome.
- Tomorrow: The Marion County Reentry Coalition invites returning citizens, family members, friends and advocates impacted by the criminal legal system to share their stories, perspectives and dreams for the future. This event will take place at the Phoenix Theater Cultural Center, 705 N. Illinois St., 3:30-5:30 p.m. and is free.
- Friday, May 31: At Companion art gallery, 3715 Washington Blvd., “Winding Accord,” an exhibition of paintings, collage, textile, ceramics and prints, will have an opening reception 6-10 p.m. The show features six contemporary, Indiana-based artists addressing labor, individual and collective identities, evolving ecologies and new technologies. Free.
— Jennifer Delgadillo, arts and culture editor
Looking for other things to do? Check out Mirror Indy’s events calendar.
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What else we’re reading today
- Chalkbeat Indiana: A far eastside charter school that launched during the uncertainty of the pandemic is now graduating its first class of students.
- The Marshall Project: Many tactics used by police officers against anti-war protesters on college campuses, including at Indiana University, go against what’s considered best practices learned from the 2020 protests over the murder of George Floyd. (Mirror Indy context: IUPUI’s pro-Palestinian protest feels different. Here’s why.)
- CNN: In Indiana, Republican elected officials often lament what they consider to be antisemitic behavior on college campuses. Meanwhile, a social media account for former President Donald Trump posted a video celebrating his potential 2024 reelection in a fake newspaper headline referencing a “unified Reich.“
Notes from our Documenters
Please join us at today’s community listening event at 5:30 p.m. at the Community Alliance of the Far Eastside. We’ll have a short presentation about Mirror Indy, Free Press Indiana and Indy Documenters.
Then we’ll have two rounds of small group conversations about what neighbors want from local news, and what stories they want told about their communities.
Refreshments will be provided. You can register here.
Any questions? Send me an email at ariana.beedie@mirrorindy.org.
— Ariana Beedie, community journalism director
Interested in being a Documenter? Here’s how.
Reflections
What’s the surest sign of summer to me? It’s the arrival of outdoor concerts.
Tomorrow is when I’ll finally have the opportunity to see one of my favorite bands perform.
The Decemberists will be performing at Rock the Ruins at Holliday Park. And yes, tickets are still available!
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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