After months of work, West Side Leadership Academy became the site of something rare: a movie premiere that felt like a homecoming. Monday night brought an exclusive early look at Michael, the upcoming biopic tracing Michael Jackson’s rise, with a focus on his roots in Gary. In attendance were Michael’s brothers Jackie Jackson, Marlon Jackson, […]
Michael Jackson
Posted inArts, Community
Gary Has No Movie Theater, but Organizers Brought the Michael Jackson Biopic Home
When Karen Toering heard that a biopic of Michael Jackson was in the works, a lightbulb went off in her head. Could the film be shown in Gary, the city where Jackson’s story began? “It’s easier to carry optimism than it is to carry doubt and anxiety,” Toering said. After months of organizing and outreach, […]
Posted inLocal Government, Politics & Policy, Redevelopment
How Gary Lost a $5 Billion Jackson Family Theme Park Deal
For a brief moment in the mid-1990s, Gary stood on the edge of a radically different future. City leaders and members of the Jackson family began discussing plans for a theme park in Gary, an idea that soon expanded into something far more ambitious. Envisioned as a destination on par with Graceland, the home of […]
Posted inArts, Community, Events, History
Gary Residents Are Invited to Share Michael Jackson Memories Ahead of Premiere
When chatter started about a potential Michael Jackson biographical picture being produced, the gears in the Gary International Black Film Festival’s team’s mind started to turn. “How could we celebrate our native son?” was the question they all asked as rumors turned into teasers and trailers for the film that began to drop into the […]
Posted inCulture, Tourism
Michael Jackson’s Gary Home a Place of Remembrance on Anniversary of His Death
On a recent Saturday morning, a quiet block in Gary stirred to life. Cars rolled up to a modest house on the corner of 2300 Jackson Street. One by one, people turned down the one-way street, parked, and stepped out to capture the moment with photos and videos. License plates told a story of their […]
Posted inCulture
They Grew Up With Pop Royalty. Now They Have to Dodge Their Fans.
Antwyne Morland lives a few hundred yards from the Jackson family home. Fifteen years ago, Morland bought the house next to the King of Pop’s boyhood home for the price of a used car. Today, Morland revels living near Gary’s most famous home, but he no longer parks in front of his own house. Years […]