Indiana Black Caucus To Focus On Advocacy At 2019 Town Halls

The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus will hold a series of town halls in communities across the state over the next few months.

The Black Caucus uses town halls each summer to update Hoosiers on the previous legislative session and get input for next year. Caucus Chair Rep. Robin Shackleford (D-Indianapolis) says this year, they’re bringing along state workers to help Hoosiers prepare for the upcoming census.

And she says the caucus will also emphasize the importance of citizen advocacy.

“I saw how vital it was for the people to be at the Statehouse and how vital it is for their voice to be heard,” Shackleford says.

Shackleford says the caucus will focus on teaching people how to advocate during session – which she says many find intimidating.

“A lot of people say, ‘Well, we don’t know how to go to committee hearings. We don’t know when committee hearings take place,’” Shackleford says.

The first town hall is Saturday, in Indianapolis. Future stops include Fort Wayne, Jeffersonville, Evansville, South Bend, Terre Haute and Hammond.

The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus has more information on those stops.