Jan. 19 is observed throughout the United States as a holiday honoring the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. The holiday was officially established, in part, by a 1983 bill sponsored by Gary native and U.S. Rep. Katie Hall, and was first observed on Jan. 20, 1986. In an effort to bring community […]
MLK Day
Posted inHistory, Politics & Policy
Meet the Woman from Gary Who Secured MLK Day as a Federal Holiday
Katie Hall, a trailblazing congresswoman from Gary, played a pivotal role in the fight to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday. As the first Black woman to represent Indiana in Congress, Hall authored and sponsored the legislation honoring King’s legacy, ensuring his dream of justice and equality would be celebrated nationwide. […]
Posted inHistory
This Black Man Made History at Indiana University. It Took Decades for Recognition.
Before Todd Deloney arrived at the Indiana University Northwest campus in Gary, he knew what he was in for. It was 1983, and the university was known in the region as “an oasis for whites.” “The irony of it all was that in this chocolate city, there was IU,” Deloney said. But, he didn’t let […]