Nike faces federal probe over allegations of ‘DEI-related’ discrimination against white workers
EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas has moved swiftly to target diversity and inclusion policies that she has long criticized as potentially discriminatory.
Diversity
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6 new cabaret shows celebrate iconic Black entertainers
PsyWrn Simone will perform “Black Thread: Songs that Nina Taught Me” on Saturday and Sunday at the District Theatre.
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In its fifth year, Butter art fair eclipses $1.1M in cumulative art sales
More than 10,000 people attended the fifth edition of the Butter fine art fair over Labor Day weekend, where 104 artworks sold for a total of $192,000.
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Butter fine art fair announces West Coast exhibition in 2026
The event will mark the first full staging of GangGang’s signature fine art fair outside of Indianapolis. Additional pop-up versions are scheduled in Chicago and Miami.
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IBJ Podcast: Indiana’s first Miss Basketball on Caitlin Clark and 50 years of progress
Judi Warren explains how girls in the early 1970s had to fight for respect, funding and even decent practice time—and then how quickly attitudes changed after she guided Warsaw to the first state championship in 1976.
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Articles
Fight continues over proposed ban on driver’s license gender changes
Advocates for transgender Hoosiers spoke in opposition to an Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles regulation revision to prohibit gender marker changes that have been allowed since 2009.
Rokita files lawsuit against IPS for ‘frustrating’ immigration officials
The lawsuit alleges Indianapolis Public Schools maintains policies that violate Indiana’s anti-sanctuary statute.
IPS changes Office of Racial Equity amid national backlash to DEI
The transition was meant to ensure “that every student has what they need to be successful, regardless of their identity,” the district said in a statement Wednesday.
Ex-Amazon driver sues civil rights agency for dropping her case following executive order
The suit is the latest example of workers scrambling to find recourse as federal agencies abandon their cases in response to Trump’s shake-up of the country’s civil rights enforcement infrastructure.
Legislative caucus condemns early redistricting campaign for ‘diluting Black voting power’
Although Indiana leans Republican, caucus members argued that Hoosier Democrats should still be represented in Congress.
Indianapolis startup bank Generations set to launch early next year with two retail locations
Generations is set to be Indiana’s first minority depository institution—and one of only 153 operating in the United States and its territories. But the bank will be open to anyone.
Federal court rejects request to stop Indiana’s denial of gender changes on birth certificates
The judge said the ACLU is unlikely to prevail on arguments that the state violated transgender Hoosiers’ 14th Amendment rights in refusing to process court-ordered gender marker changes on their birth certificates.
Rokita to deny state contracts to law firms that use DEI practices
Starting Oct. 24, the policy will allow the attorney general to block a state agency’s request for outside counsel if the law firm engages in discriminatory practices.
Rokita backs INDOT request to waive federal race/gender hiring considerations for contractors
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita sent a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in which he argued that the federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program is unconstitutional.
Braun administration seeks legal opinion on business diversity programs
The administration is seeking an advisory opinion on the legality of the Governor’s Commission on Supplier Diversity and the continued implementation of the Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises Program.
State contractors who violate anti-DEI policies could face civil penalties
The Indiana attorney general, in coordination with Gov. Mike Braun’s administration, is reviewing all state contracts to ensure that they do not violate the state’s anti-DEI laws.
State targets ‘discriminatory’ DEI practices, cancels minority business conference
The 17th annual Business Conference and B2Bloom Expo, hosted by the Department of Administration’s Division of Supplier Diversity, showcased ways for underrepresented companies to contract with the state.
A&E Preview: The District Theatre looks to develop resident Latino company
Leaders at The District Theatre considers “American Mariachi,” a play focused on women who want to enter the male-dominated art form of mariachi in the 1970s, an important step toward incubating a Latino theater company.
La Plaza cancels annual Fiesta celebration over ‘deep concern’ for safety
The organization did not specifically say why the Hispanic Heritage Month event was being canceled, but the announcement comes as the federal government is ramping up its efforts to detain and deport immigrants.
Judge strikes down Trump administration guidance against diversity programs at schools and colleges
The guidance has been on hold since April when three federal judges blocked various portions of the Education Department’s anti-DEI measures.
Rokita expands investigation into Notre Dame, Butler DEI practices
The civil investigative demands are being used to determine whether the schools’ DEI practices could violate their nonprofit statuses, the Indiana False Claims Act or the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act, Rokita said.
Indiana Fever create Inspiring Women Award, honor longtime executive
Moving forward, the award will also be named for its inaugural honoree, who the Fever said has spent her 50-plus-year career “breaking barriers and building opportunities for women in basketball.”
Braun administration eliminates programs, positions and initiatives across state agencies after DEI review
A January executive order gave state agencies until July 1 to complete a review and identify diversity, equity and inclusion in their policies. In total, 350 such initiatives were identified.
Business Equity chair says group’s overall mission hasn’t changed with political winds
Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, Indy Chamber and the Indianapolis Urban League are partners in Business Equity for Indy, which launched in 2020 with 11 member companies. Today it has 50.