A state lawmaker who says he has been unfairly characterized for racially controversial social media posts plans to meet this week with the president of the Columbus/Bartholomew County Area NAACP Branch of the NAACP.
District 69 State Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, whose district includes a southern portion of Bartholomew County, said he is looking forward to talking with Pastor Johnnie Edwards by late this week.
The two said they have been trying to work out details of that meeting over the past few days.
“I’m certainly not looking at this as a one-time meeting,” Lucas said. “I’m looking at this as the beginning of building a long-term relationship.”
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Lucas, who reached out to Edwards about a get-together, also recently reached out in the same spirit to Columbus City Council member Jerone Wood.
Lucas said he decided about building those relationships shortly after he attended a racial solidarity rally June 4 at Columbus City Hall. Wood, who introduced himself to the rally’s large crowd as Columbus’ first black Columbus city councilman, was among the speakers.
“I’d like to just listen and to find out what we can do to build bridges, and find a way to end all the (racial) animosity and all the negativity that’s going on right now,” Lucas said.
“I’m open to all that,” Edwards said. “Communication has to flow both ways. And I’m hoping that he’s willing to try to understand a little of how we as an African American community feel when certain things are said or done.”
Edwards said he understands that Lucas probably has faced plenty of anger for memes and other Facebook posts that some people have called racist (Lucas said he still says the post “was blown way out of proportion”).
“The God that I serve would not want me to have animosity or unrighteous anger in my heart and still expect to be a proper representation of his word,” Edwards said, adding that Lucas needs a chance to present his viewpoints one-on-one. “So, I have to live whatever I teach.”
The Indiana State Conference of the NAACP submitted a resolution to Gov. Eric Holcomb and the Indiana General Assembly in May calling for the resignation and censure of Lucas.
That came after news of federal stimulus checks being mailed to citizens, and he posted on his Facebook page a meme of black children dancing with wording that read: “We gon’ get free money!”
He later apologized, and maintains even now that he “didn’t see color” in the meme before posting.
Lucas was removed from the House Interim Study Committee on Elections and the Interim Study Committee on Public Policy. Lucas was also demoted from vice chair to a regular member of the Standing Select Committee on Government Reduction.
Lucas said he was not trying to schedule these meetings because of any outside pressure to do so or being told he should schedule the meetings.
“Oh no, no, no,” Lucas said. “I’m doing this all of my own accord.”
