Part 4: Honored to Have This Seat

“I am 100% committed to changing the fabric of our city.” Part 4 of an oral history story from an interview with Mayor Jerome Prince, Gary, Indiana. You can find Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here. Transcript for Honored to Have This Seat For me, people who held government offices were […]

Part 3: Get Out into the World

“Marine Corps was a decision based on my desire to want to provide for my family.” Part 3 of an oral history story from an interview with Mayor Jerome Prince, Gary, Indiana. You can find Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 4 here. Transcript for Get Out into the World The best or […]

Part 2: All of That Changed for Me

“To go from a school that was predominantly African American to just the complete opposite was a little bit of a culture shock.” Part 2 of an oral history story from an interview with Mayor Jerome Prince, Gary, Indiana. You can find Part 1 here, Part 3 here, and Part 4 here. Transcript for All […]

Part 1: That’s Who I Am

“She actually made a bassinet out of a drawer for me.” Part 1 of an oral history story from an interview with Mayor Jerome Prince, Gary, Indiana. You can find Part 2 here, Part 3 here, and Part 4 here. Transcript for That’s Who I Am My mom was born in 1946. She was actually […]

Cross-Connect

“Pierogies are the Eastern European version of empanadas, you know?” An oral history story from an interview with Nicole Martinez-LeGrand, Multicultural Collections Coordinator, Library and Archives Division, Indiana Historical Society. Transcript for Cross Connect When I was growing up, ethnicity was kind of static. And I didn’t really come to understand what “ethnicity” meant until […]

Residential Segregation and Racial Inequality

“…central obstacles for black Americans seeking to make their way in post-war America.” Historian Heath Carter discusses how post-war policies and practices (including the G.I. Bill, redlining, and restrictive covenants) created a Northern Jim Crow. Transcript for Residential Segregation and Racial Inequality So for people to understand 21st century Gary, I think they really have […]

Motivating Force

“You can make positives out of situations and we did that as an all-black school in an all-black community.” Transcript for Motivating Force Today, if any student was going to Gary Roosevelt as I remember Gary Roosevelt and others, it would cost a fortune. It would be a prestigious academy that taught excellence in academics […]

Between Those White Lines

“With athletes, it was just a whole different kind of bonding.” Transcript for Between Those White Lines The interesting thing about sports is this, and a lot of people just don’t get it. Sports for the most part, not absolutely, but for the most part, is how society should be. When athletes get together in […]

Before the Floodgates Opened

“I will call some agents out there and see what’s available, but I want to let you know what times we’re living in.” Transcript for Before the Floodgates Opened Open housing just opened the floodgates and made it possible for anybody and everybody to live in any parts of the city. My father was a […]