Bloomington United meeting addresses city's racial issues

About 80 people came together Tuesday night at the Banneker Center to discuss the fault lines that separate blacks from whites in Bloomington. A topic that rarely occurs without debate, the discussion of how the races interact in Bloomington became emotional.\nBut those involved say the discussion moved them toward better understanding.\n"Surprisingly, there is a very nice crowd here tonight, very lively, and racially mixed," said professor Jeffrey Isaac, who moderated the event. "It is not very common to see this here." \nThe crowd was varied by gender and race. Of the attendees, men, women and children from the white, black and Asian communities were represented. \nAs a founding member of Bloomington United, Isaac said he expected the meeting to help generate public discussion about the role of black people in Bloomington. \nThe town meeting stirred up discussion -- much of it heated. Panelists spoke about their experiences as blacks in Bloomington. Paul Norris, IU chief of police, reminisced about how blacks were allowed to work as barbers in the downtown barber shops, but could not cut the hair of black people. \n"Even as a child this disturbed me," he said. "I didn't understand why Mr. Ellis could cut hair downtown, but not mine."\nPatrick Efiom, a social worker for the Monroe County Community School Corporation, said he and his wife found a racial slur spray-painted on their door after moving to Bloomington.\n"Many in the community were ashamed and did not know the words to say after this happened," he said. "But they gave great support."\nLa Verta Terry, a community activist, said she remembered racial tensions she experienced in Bloomington. Terry was the first black teacher to work in the Bloomington school system.\n"Bloomington's state of denial I did not realize until the night the Korean man (late graduate student Won-Joon Yoon) was killed," she said. "This reminded me of the night Martin Luther King was assassinated." \nTerry said she received many phone calls on both occasions -- phone calls of apology. \nWhat started as a simple question and answer segment after the panelists finished transformed to individual testimonies of anger.\nGraduate student Patricia Tucker eagerly expressed her anger.\n"When I came to IU, I wasn't looking to be integrated," she said. "But now that I know how life is on an integrated campus -- I am ready to leave!" \nTucker proceeded with an explanation.\n"The first three times I spoke with white men off campus, I was asked, 'So what brings you to Bloomington?'" she said. "Which I translated into the language of the new Budweiser commercial, 'What are you doing here?' 'What are you doing here?' 'What are you going to do here?'"\nMinutes later the group laughed about the lack of black professionals in Bloomington. The group was not laughing at the issue, but a comical statement made about the fact. \nBut Tucker did not see the humor in it. \n"It's not funny, people!" she yelled.\nAnd the crowd quieted down.\n"I came to Bloomington in 1999, and I was surprised to see that a city with such a large renowned institution as IU had no black tradesmen," Tucker said. "Where are the black policemen and government workers that make up the middle class?"\nThe discussion turned serious.\n"I had been commuting to the police department at IUPUI," said Norris, a longtime Bloomington resident. "It wasn't until IU was forced to hire African-Americans that I began working in here in 1989." \nSeveral others attested to a lack of job opportunities for blacks. Some testified to being the only blacks in their offices. \nThe meeting took a turn to more social issues. \nIt was agreed the issue of community needs to be dealt with -- more so than race. \n"What happened to the block parties we used to have?" mused Mark Bryson of the IU Office of Affirmative Action. "We used to bring out the food and games and just have a great time regardless of race"