INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Black Expo President Tanya Bell and Indiana Civil Rights Commission Executive Director Jamal Smith have been named to co-chair the Your Life Matters Violence Prevention Task Force.
Last month, Mayor Ballard joined community leaders to announce plans to address the recent surge in violence, including a public awareness campaign which included targeted public service announcements on radio stations operated by Radio One Indianapolis, an extension of 211 efforts to guide parents and others to appropriate counseling and social services, stiffer penalties for gun crimes, and a list of several organizations that provide parenting and mentoring programs in the city.
Part of the plan called for the Mayor’s appointment of a bi-partisan task force to research and review targeted evidence-based models in Indianapolis and other cities that break down barriers to success and help African-American men achieve their professional, educational and personal goals.
The Your Life Matters Task Force will collect and review data to better understand the challenges facing African-American men in Indianapolis, consult with experts, including service providers, non-profit organizations, philanthropists and academics, and search for revenue streams to fund the expansion of existing or new evidence-based programs.
The Your Life Matters Task Force will focus its review on targeted model programs that directly target African-American men between the ages of 10 – 24 that are not currently enrolled in school; academically struggling and at risk for dropping out of school or not graduating, middle or high school students or adults whose reading skills are below grade level, on probation, parole, on alternative-to- placement program, a court involved young adult, recently discharged from Marion County Jail or inmate housed in Marion County jail, receiving mental health treatment, and at risk of placement into foster care; or unemployed.