Gary mayor continues to fight racism

Gary, Ind. is a city known for its predominantly African-American population.

Valerie Grim, IU department chair of African American and African Diaspora Studies, said although there have been setbacks, democratic ideas toward race have prevailed in Indiana.

Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson became Indiana’s first African-American female mayor in 2012 — and mayor of a city that proved crucial to African-American politicians statewide, Grim said in an email.

At the 1972 Gary Convention, African-American leaders and organizations developed an agenda for black empowerment in Indiana and throughout the U.S.

“Gary is one of several large cities, with a strong black presence, that shifted the political focus of African-Americans to electoral politics in the 1970s,” Grim said. “This took full advantage of what had been gained through mass demonstrations and protests of the 1960s.”

Since assuming her position as mayor in 2012, Freeman-Wilson has helped improve many social and economic aspects of the city, said Gary resident Clarence Boone.

Freeman-Wilson, a Gary native, attended both Harvard undergraduate and Harvard Law School and went on to become Gary’s city judge before being appointed as Indiana Attorney General by Gov. Frank O’Bannon in 2000, succeeding previous state Attorney General Jeff Modisett after his resignation.

After her first term in office, she became the Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, an American non-profit drug court organization, as well as the director of the Indiana Civil Rights Commission.

Boone said although economic downtimes have hit the city hard, residents have continued to show resilience.

“People are hanging in there,” Boone said.

In addition, Boone said he believes Freeman-Wilson’s positive attitude is helping lead the town in the right direction through her efforts to improve the community by cleaning up surrounding neighborhoods and her overall pride.

“She brings a remobilized spirit to her position and inspires the citizens of Gary,” Boone said. “The pride in the city is there, but I think the populous is struggling to collectively come together.”

Follow reporter Brett Freiman on Twitter
@brttfrmn.