| | | |  | Safety is possible for all of us. “Most of us believe every person is worthy of safety and the ability to thrive, no matter if we are Black, white, or brown. For too long, legislators bought by the gun industry have refused to act to pass gun safety measures, a choice that took eight lives in Indianapolis. Governor Holcomb and his legislature have a moral responsibility to act now and pass gun safety laws and fund proven community based solutions that protect all Indiana families.” - Rev. Richard Willoughgy, President of Faith in Indiana On April 15, a gunman targeted a FedEx facility in Indianapolis that he knew was overwhelmingly staffed by Sikhs. Our community is forever transformed by this mass murder fueled by the ideology of white supremacy and easy access to guns. In the first 112 days of 2021, there have been at least 157 mass shootings in the United States. Governor Holcomb must go beyond thoughts and prayers. The time is now. |
| |  | White House Announces Major Investment in the Fight Against Gun Violence On March 13th, Faith in Action leaders joined President Biden in the White House Rose Garden as he announced historic federal investments in community-led gun violence prevention initiatives. After years of advocacy, President Biden has proposed a $5 billion investment in evidence-based community violence interventions as a part of his American Jobs Plan; $200 Million was included in the White House’s proposed budget for 2022; and 26 existing federal grant programs will prioritize community violence intervention work going forward. This is incredible news that will bolster our efforts in towns across Indiana, where Faith in Indiana leaders has made huge progress. Just last week, the city of Gary announced the hire of a Director of Violence Intervention. Indianapolis held a training for the city’s newly hired team of group violence intervention specialists led by national experts. And South Bend is working to strengthen it’s long-standing GVI strategy. These victories are possible because of your calls, actions, and unrelenting advocacy at home and in our nation’s capital. We keep us safe, when we join together across race, religion, and demand our lives be funded and our communities whole. |
| |  | Faith in Indiana Leaders Call on Governor Holcomb to ‘Fund Our Lives’  On April 6, faith and community leaders from across Indiana came together virtually and in-person at the Indiana State Capitol to demand Governor Holcomb commit 5% of the state’s American Rescue Plan to scale-up Group Violence Intervention, the most effective evidence-based strategy to reduce gun violence across Indiana. “No matter what your zip code, your race or where you worship, Hoosiers want to live in safety and with freedom to pursue their dreams,” Faith in Indiana lead organizer Rosie Bryant said. “But repeatedly, we have seen state lawmakers, put the interest of the wealthy few ahead of the safety, health and well-being of our families and neighbors.” “Now is our chance to change that. With millions coming from the federal government, Indiana lawmakers can demonstrate they care about safety in communities of color and fund proven strategies to reduce gun violence.” It’s going to take all of us to lift our voices to urge Governor Holcomb to do the right thing. Add your name now to tell the governor he must commit to funding gun violence intervention in Indiana. |
| | | Faith in Indiana Turns 3! On April 21, 2018 what started in Indianapolis as IndyCAN became a statewide movement for racial and economic justice. Over the last three years, we’ve been able to enact massive change across the state — and we’re just getting started! From gun violence prevention to access to healthcare, and criminal justice reform to immigrant inclusion, Faith in Indiana leaders all across the state have put in hundreds of thousands of hours of work to make their communities safer, more welcoming, and more inclusive places to call home for everyone. We’re so proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with you in the fight to build a better Indiana. We have accomplished a lot in these first three years — but we’re going to accomplish even more in the next three! Will you help us celebrate this milestone now by signing up to be a sustaining donor of just $3 a month? Your donation will help us make sure that this important work continues. |
| | | |  | Immigrant Leaders urge U.S. Senators to support a path to citizenship at Freedom Together March in Indianapolis On Monday, April 19, nearly 50 faith and community leaders joined Faith in Indiana for the Freedom Together March to urge Senators Young and Braun to support legislation to add a path to citizenship for 5 million undocumented essential workers in COVID-19 recovery legislation. Leaders marched from Downtown Monument Circle to Senator Mike Braun’s office, where they heard from immigrant neighbors who long to feel safe, included, and have the full protection of citizenship for thousands of Indiana families. To watch the full event on Facebook, click here. |
| | | 500+ Engage in Season of Action to advance our Faith Agenda All across Indiana, regardless of where we come from or the color of our skin, we work hard to take care of our families and make our communities a safer, more vibrant place to live. We come together during times of crisis, to care for one another during a pandemic, march for justice when one of us is hurt, and build communities where all of us can be safe. And that’s what happened during Faith in Indiana's Season of Action. Over 500 change makers met with 54 different elected officials across the state and create change in their communities. Thanks to your hard work, and our many partners, we were able to pass bills requiring that Indiana law enforcement be trained in de-escalation (HB1006) and establishing an Indiana Crime Guns Task Force (HB1558). We beat back efforts to block our progress; seeking to prevent civilian oversight of local law enforcement (SB394 and HB1427), promote state takeover of the Indianapolis Marion County Police Department (SB168) and prevent nonprofit bail organizations from organizing in our communities (HB1376). People Power Works! Congratulations, everyone! |
| | | MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Big Actions Coming in May |
|  | We Make the Future Rally Sunday, May 16, 4 pm ET
Pottawatomi Park
500 S. Greelawn Ave, Southbend, IN No matter what your zip code, your race or what's in your wallet, when our family members have a mental health or substance abuse crisis, we want them to get help, not end up in jail. Join with hundreds of people of faith and goodwill from around our county as we urge public officials to invest some of the millions of dollars in federal monies coming to our county in a crisis response center. This can be a hinge moment for our county and our families. We will also mourn the losses from COVID and celebrate our gains in police accountability. Stand with others to make a better future. Online watch parties will also be available for those unable to attend in person. |
| | |  | Freedom Together Town Hall Tuesday, May 4, 7 pm ET
virtual event In Indiana, we believe that every person deserves a chance at the American dream, regardless of their immigration status. But too often, bigoted politicians attempt to pit us against one another by attacking undocumented immigrants in the hopes that we'll be too distracted to notice when our elected leaders aren't doing their jobs. On Tuesday, May 4, Faith in Indiana's immigrant justice team will host a town hall to discuss the issues impacting the immigrant community. We will be joined by Indiana Representative André Carson and Marion County Sheriff Kerry Forestal. |
| | | What We’re Reading: The Sum of Us  Heather McGhee’s specialty is the American economy—and the mystery of why it so often fails the American public. From the financial crisis to rising student debt to collapsing public infrastructure, she found a common root problem: racism. But not just in the most obvious indignities for people of color. Racism has costs for white people, too. It is the common denominator of our most vexing public problems, the core dysfunction of our democracy and constitutive of the spiritual and moral crises that grip us all. But how did this happen? And is there a way out?
McGhee embarks on a deeply personal journey across the country from Mississippi to California to Maine, tallying what we lose when we buy into the zero-sum paradigm—the idea that progress for some of us must come at the expense of others. Along the way, she meets white people who confide in her about losing their homes, their dreams, and their shot at better jobs to the toxic mix of American racism and greed. This is the story of how public goods in this country—from parks and pools to functioning schools—have become private luxuries; of how unions collapsed, wages stagnated, and inequality increased; and of how this country, unique among the world’s advanced economies, has thwarted universal healthcare.
But in unlikely places of worship and work, McGhee finds proof of what she calls the Solidarity Dividend: gains that come when people come together across race, to accomplish what we simply can’t do on our own. The Sum of Us is a brilliant analysis of how we arrived here: divided and self-destructing, materially rich but spiritually starved and vastly unequal. McGhee marshals economic and sociological research to paint an irrefutable story of racism’s costs, but at the heart of the book are the humble stories of people yearning to be part of a better America, including white supremacy’s collateral victims: white people themselves. With startling empathy, this heartfelt message from a Black woman to a multiracial America leaves us with a new vision for a future in which we finally realize that life can be more than zero-sum. |
| | | | | ¿Prefieres recibir comunicaciones en español? Si es así, por favor háganoslo saber. |
|
|
| We believe no matter where people live, what people look like or what’s in a person's wallet, everyone deserves to live safe and healthy lives. Your donation will make this vision possible. |
| | |
|
| Faith in Indiana 212 W 10th Street, Suite F-175 Indianapolis, IN 46202 317-759-3370 Faith in Indiana is a 501(c)(3) organization. Faith in Indiana and its chapters are strictly non-partisan and do not endorse or support candidates for public office.
We are not affiliated explicitly or implicitly with any candidate or party. FAITHINDIANA.ORG |
| |
|
| |
|
|
