At the corner of 13th Avenue and Broadway, the smell of a home-cooked meal wafts to the sidewalk as the doors to Sistas with Soul open. Inside, Pamela Junior stands behind the counter, greeting regulars, welcoming newcomers, and serving food. Her sister, Alici’a Junior, slips between the kitchen and dining room, frying fish in the […]
Rayonna Burton-Jernigan
Rayonna Burton-Jernigan is the Business and Economic Development reporter for Capital B Gary.
Posted inLGBTQ
Gary Pride Parade Ended Years Ago. Residents Still Feel Its Absence.
Tyona Jackson Wesley-Stitt still recalls the hot June day in 2008 when marchers swung from 25th and Adams Street onto Taft Street and claimed Gary’s first Pride parade, capping it with a family picnic at Marquette Park. She had formed Rainbow Days, a local grassroots group, two years earlier, laying the foundation for what would […]
Posted inCommunity, History
‘You Can’t Take This Melanin Away’: Gary Celebrates Juneteenth
On a hot and sunny Thursday, Gary’s Midtown neighborhood welcomed a flurry of Juneteenth flags, shirts, and camaraderie as community members gathered to celebrate the holiday. Chants, laughter, and music filled the air as the parade celebrated the Black holiday. “It’s so nice that the weather opened up,” said one parade attendee as she danced […]
Posted inRedevelopment
What’s Next for Gary’s Genesis Convention Center? The City Turns to Residents for Ideas.
The city of Gary is looking to the community for help in bringing life back to downtown through a new project initiative. The city has issued a request for interest for the future of the Genesis Convention Center, located in the heart of downtown. “We are committed to creating a vibrant and thriving downtown Gary,” […]
Posted inArts
Meet the Gary Playwright Helping Youth Find Their Voice Through Theater
From a young age, Charbria Shine knew the stage would be part of her life, even if it meant starting as a mascot and finishing as a playwright. A cheer mascot in kindergarten, she went on to dance at church and landed the lead role in a play on her first try. Her place in […]
Posted inEconomic Development, Politics & Policy
Gary’s Big Win: Convention Center News Sparks Citywide Excitement
Robert Buggs stood alone amid a sea of applause. Clad in a baby-blue fedora and matching sport coat, he was the only person to rise in the county Government Center’s second-floor chamber as the Lake County Board of Commissioners named Gary the new convention center site. “I’m very ecstatic about it, because now’s the time […]
Posted inEconomic Development, Politics & Policy
New Lake County Convention Center Is Coming to Gary
It’s official. The Lake County Board of Commissioners selected Gary as the site for the new Lake County Convention Center. The commissioners announced the decision Wednesday morning to a packed room and were met with rousing applause from an audience that included Gary residents and city officials. What began as proposals for 14 sites across […]
Posted inArts
She Styled Beyoncé’s Tour. Now She Wants to Rebuild the Arts in Gary.
When Sankara McCain walked across the stage to graduate from Emerson School for Visual and Performing Arts, she didn’t know where her arts journey would take her. Never did she think it would lead to her working with everyone from Phylicia Rashad to Saweetie to Beyoncé and Blue Ivy Carter for the “Cowboy Carter” tour. […]
Posted inEconomic Development, Redevelopment
Sneak Peek: Inside Gary’s Future $35 Million YMCA Campus
City officials, community leaders, and residents gathered in Gary’s Tolleston neighborhood to mark the start of construction on a $35 million YMCA and Boys & Girls Club campus. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on Wednesday at the site of the former Tolleston Middle School, where the 91,000-square-foot facility will be built. “When we invest in […]
Posted inEconomy, Money, Politics & Policy
Gary’s Seniors on Edge as Tariffs Threaten Their Savings
On a recent weekday afternoon, the Gary Public Library’s community room was filled with dozens of seniors seeking community, friendship, and a game of bingo. For members of the Senior Citizens Friendship Club, it’s a welcome escape from the stress and uncertainty of daily life. It offers a brief window to laugh, unwind, and connect […]