The mayors of the four largest U.S. cities spoke at the African American Mayors Association conference in Washington on Friday. From left to right: Eric Adams of New York, Karen Bass of Los Angeles, Lori Lightfoot of Chicago, and Sylvester Turner of Houston. (Lynn Sweet/Sun-Times)
July 20, 2024 Story by: Editor
Mayor Ronald Morrell Jr., Mayor Deb Whitfield, and Mayor Rod Roberson took the stage on June 28 during the 2024 Indiana Black Expo Policy Summit to address community issues and explore solutions.
Presented by Crossroads Public Affairs, Black Onyx Management, Indianapolis Urban League, African American Coalition of Indianapolis, and Indianapolis African American Quality of Life Initiative, IBE’s Summer Celebration invited five newly elected Black mayors to participate in a panel discussion.
“A policy summit like this underscores the critical role of local leadership in advancing community-driven solutions across our state,” stated Alice Watson, president and CEO of the Indiana Black Expo. “We are honored to provide a platform for these dynamic mayors to share their insights and strategies for fostering collaboration and addressing challenges within their communities.”
Although Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch and Mayor Stephanie Terry were unable to attend, Morrell, Whitfield, and Roberson emphasized the significance of Black representation in leadership roles and the importance of community care and fostering future generations.
“We can’t be mayor of anyone else’s city but our own,” remarked Roberson, mayor of Elkhart, during the discussion. “We need to be good at what we do, and we need to learn and work in order to do so.”
Roberson highlighted that only nine of Indiana’s mayors are African American, including those from Gary, East Chicago, Michigan City, Elkhart, Fort Wayne, Terre Haute, Lawrence, Marion, and Evansville, with just four being African American women.
Housing is the primary issue facing Marion, according to Morrell.
“Every city that I’ve talked to, every mayor is struggling with the same thing,” Morrell noted. “From our perspective, that’s what I’m focusing on first with economic development. If we can create a sense of place where people want to live in our city and have a place where they can stay, I believe the jobs will follow.”
In contrast, Lawrence is focused on economic development, including affordable housing, healthcare access, and attracting new businesses, Whitfield explained. Lawrence, a decommissioned fort, is one of the four “excluded cities” in Marion County, and Whitfield made history as its first Black woman mayor.
“You have to think outside the box to entice someone to come to your city,” Whitfield said. “When you consider businesses, homes, socioeconomics, food deserts, and healthcare, all these factors are crucial for the city’s growth.”
Building community relationships is a strong starting point, Whitfield suggested. This involves giving the city “a seat at the table” by improving infrastructure connectivity, public safety, and affordable housing for everyone, including students and retirees.
Morrell conducted a housing study in his first term, discovering that the city could lease or sell approximately 400 houses or units annually for the next five years, and immediately started reaching out to developers.
However, the panelists agreed that the simpler solution is funding.
“The state has such a surplus; some of those funds need to be released to municipalities for us to survive,” Whitfield stated. “That’s a conversation we need to have from the top down, middle down, bottom up. We need strong discussions with our elected officials to express our needs.”
Beyond policy discussions, the panelists spoke about how being a mayor involves breaking barriers, driving change, and building a personal relationship with the community.
Mayorship fosters leadership, provides space for mentoring, and sets an example for the youth, creating a legacy of excellence, Roberson emphasized.
“When I was running, they often asked, ‘What will it be like being the first African American mayor of Elkhart?’ I replied, ‘I’m not running to be the first African American mayor of Elkhart. I’m running to be the best mayor the city has ever had who happened to be Black,’” Roberson said. Source: Indianapolis Recorder
