Black Expo, Indy Recorder to Form Equity Coalition

(photo courtesy of Indiana Black Expo Inc.)

The Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper and Indiana Black Expo Inc. are working together to spearhead a coalition of key stakeholders focused on social and economic change. IBE President Tanya Mckinzie said the two entities collaborated this year to provide tools and resources to help 1,200 Indiana small businesses during the pandemic and challenging economic climate.

The organizations say heightened focus on justice and equity issues reached unprecedented levels of global consciousness in 2020.

“Unimaginable adversity intensified the need to help put the Black economic sector in the best possible position to prepare for and deal with unforeseen situations,” said Mckinzie. “IBE and the Indianapolis Recorder enjoy a rich tradition of teaming together for a common cause. Our goal moving forward is to combine efforts of like-minded organizations in becoming more strategic in such planning and implementations.”

Indiana Recorder Media Group President Robert Shegog says enhancing the longstanding partnership is “critical and timely.”

“Discrimination and racism affect all parts of Black lives, personally and collectively, including where people live, education, types of jobs, access to health care, insurance coverage, and a host of other factors,” said Shegog. “Public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic magnify this impact and highlight disproportionately negative effects on Black communities. The Indianapolis’ Black community has been resilient and persevered through a tough 2020.”

During the pandemic, IBE launched the IBX Series designed to support millennial-led enterprises in the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area. The culminating IBX Power Pitch Competition enabled 15 entrepreneurs to vie for $9,000 in cash prizes.

“In 2021, IBE and the Recorder Media Group will create broader platforms for the collaboration of non-profit groups, corporations, media, faith-based entities, and educators as well as civic and social groups, to work toward the elimination of barriers to optimum learning, work, health, safety, and economics,” stated Mckinzie.

The organizations say the coalition will serve as a broad base of focused leadership to help promote impactful and pervasive solutions throughout Indianapolis.