(Part three of a four-part series from the Indianapolis Recorder.)

“These are arrogant public officials who play by their own rules,” assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Bell said at a courthouse in Northern Indiana.

Bell wasn’t talking about the Taliban or North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il. He was referring to East Chicago Mayor George Pabey and his city supervisor, Jose Camacho. Last week, a jury found the two politicians guilty of conspiracy and theft. They were accused of using city funds and workers to renovate a lakeside property in Gary that Pabey owned.

Week of Oct. 22-28

October 22

1906—Three thousand Blacks demonstrated and rioted in Philadelphia to protest a theatrical production of Thomas Dixon’s racist play “The Clansman.” The play essentially praised the Ku Klux Klan while demeaning Blacks.

BOBBY SEALE

1936—Black Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale is born in Dallas, Texas.

1953—Clarence S. Green becomes the first African-American certified as a neurological surgeon.

2009—The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a devastating report showing the number of new HIV/AIDS infections was declining for all population groups—except homosexual males, which the CDC referred to as MSM—men who have sex with men. Among MSMs, the highest infection rate was found among young Black males 13 to 24.

by Sonya Ross

BOWIE, Md. (AP)—On the corner of Collington Road and Route 301, a bright blue poster screams the Democratic Party’s wishful thinking at passing cars: “We’ve got your back President Obama.”

The poster, not quite big enough to qualify as a billboard, reflects an unspoken bargain between Obama and Black voters: He asks, they deliver.

On Oct. 7, Obama asked.

Polls indicate many minority voters are discouraged and won’t turn out Nov. 2 as they did for Obama two years ago, yet a solid showing among Blacks could still swing several House, Senate and gubernatorial races, according to some analysts.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.—Beware of strangers, right? That is a frequent warning given to us all, but particularly women and children. However, the majority of African-American females killed by men die at the hands of guys that they know—not strangers.

Black females murdered by men are most often killed with a gun, and almost always by someone they know, according to a recent report by the Violence Policy Center, a national educational organization that works to reduce violence.