Indiana Black Legislative Caucus
Over the weekend, recruitment fliers purportedly left by the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) were found in Carmel and surrounding communities. State Rep. Earl Harris Jr. (D-East Chicago), chair of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus (IBLC), issued the following statement regarding the incidents:
“It is shameful, though unfortunately not surprising, that the KKK is working to recruit Hoosiers into their hate group in the year 2023. Less than a century ago, the Klan served as a shadow government for Indiana. Its influence got people elected to – and removed from – offices, police departments were infiltrated by Klansmen and those who didn’t agree with its message were largely ostracized. The memory of this influence sadly still looms over the Hoosier state today. The recruitment fliers that were left in and around Carmel are not new tactics, but when hate rears its ugly head, we are called to address it and to dismantle it.
“To Black Hoosiers and Hoosiers of color, know that the IBLC stands in solidarity and will continue our work to make Indiana a better place for everyone. To Carmel residents and those whose communities have been plastered with these fliers, I encourage you to reach out to your local officials and representatives about your concerns and to demand that action be taken to address it and that hate be denounced in your communities.
“Throughout our state and nation, we are seeing a rise in hate crimes. Black Americans, Latinos, Jewish, Muslim and LGBT Americans should not have to live in fear. It is imperative that Indiana codifies hate crime legislation to ensure that anyone who commits violence against another person based on their race, gender, religion, nationality or sexual orientation is punished to the fullest extent of the law.
“The Klan has for too long made Indiana their hotbed for spreading hate and white supremacy. This unfortunate incident provides us a new opportunity to address Indiana’s dark history head-on and work toward a state where everyone is safe to be themselves.”
