The recent dispute at the Statehouse between Black lawmakers and their Republican colleagues drew statewide attention and calls for racial sensitivity training.
But smaller incidents that occurred over the past several years — incidents that generally didn’t attract as much attention — offer some context.
The conflict came during a floor debate on a bill, related to the South Bend Community School Corp., that raised concerns about discrimination. According to reports, several Black lawmakers were shouted down and booed by Republican lawmakers. The passionate exchange spilled over into the hallway outside the chamber after several members walked out in frustration. A confrontation erupted between Reps. Sean Eberhart, R-Shelbyville, and Vanessa Summers, D-Indianapolis, a member of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus. Several other lawmakers were involved in trying to separate the two.
In response, the Black caucus called for mandatory implicit bias training. And House Speaker Todd Huston urged members “show proper respect” and address issues in an “appropriate dialogue.”
It’s not something that should happen at the Statehouse — or in any workplace, for that matter. It’s also not the first time that some legislators have been accused of racial insensitivity at best. In a recent report, The Indianapolis Star listed a number of times that Republican lawmakers come under fire for targeting or mocking underrepresented groups. They include:
• In 2016, Rep. Curt Nisly, R-Milford, retweeted a photo of Donald Trump protesters shown with a meme saying, “Democrats haven’t been this angry since we freed their slaves.” Nisly later apologized, calling it a “mistake” and saying “I didn’t mean to offend anyone.”
• In 2018, in a three-year-old private Facebook discussion, Sen. Andy Zay, R-Huntington, said “racism is not real,” the Journal Gazette reported. He also called the white male “the biggest minority class in America.” After the comments surfaced, Zay said that racism “is not a topic that should be taken lightly” and that he should have been “more careful with my words.”
• Last year, state Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, posted a photo on Facebook of black kids dancing with the words “We gon’ get free money!” Lucas, who said he doesn’t see color, explained he created the meme to protest federal bailouts that have created more debt for future generations. He happened to find a picture of black kids dancing in the meme generator, he said, but could have just as easily chosen a photo with white kids. After he was removed from two committees and demoted in another, Lucas said he wished he hadn’t posted the image.
If you consider these and other incidents, the confrontation at the Statehouse — the accusations of racism, the adamant denials — shouldn’t be surprising. History tells us that such racial turmoil doesn’t just happen, doesn’t appear out of thin air. And, most importantly, if not properly addressed, the problem doesn’t just disappear. So, be sad and outraged about the racial disruption in the state capitol, and the deeply felt emotions behind it. But don’t be shocked that they exist.
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