We Didn’t Have to Leave Gary to Find Opportunity

Growing up during the Hatcher era, Angela C. Johnson, 55, saw a city that modeled Black leadership, community investment, and educational opportunity.

This account has been condensed and edited for clarity.

When people ask me what Gary was like growing up, I always tell them the same thing: We had everything we needed.

I was born and raised in Gary and have lived here all 55 years of my life. Some of my earliest memories are riding the bus downtown with my grandmother. We’d go to stores on Broadway, walk through downtown Gary, and stop at Goldblatt’s before heading home. I can still remember sitting on the marble steps waiting for her to come back with a bag of popcorn or cashews before we caught the bus.

Those memories stay with me because downtown Gary was alive.

People today hear stories about the city’s glory days, but for those of us who grew up here, it wasn’t a story. It was everyday life. We had department stores, restaurants, parks, libraries, and community programs. We didn’t have to leave Gary to find opportunity or entertainment. It was all here.

I grew up during the Richard Hatcher years, and looking back, it felt like Black excellence was everywhere. We saw Black professionals, Black educators, and Black leaders throughout the city. Gary felt like a place where Black people could thrive.

What I remember most is how much the city invested in children.

The parks were full. You could learn to swim, play tennis, join recreation programs, or spend the day with friends. The libraries were community gathering places. Every summer, there were reading competitions, and kids proudly competed to see who could read the most books.

The schools were the center of everything.

Even outside the regular school day, there was always something happening. There were Saturday programs where students could study computers, creative writing, drama, music, and art. There were sports leagues, performances, and community events. Schools weren’t just buildings where children learned. They were gathering places that connected neighborhoods and families.

As an educator who spent more than 20 years teaching and leading schools in Gary, I believe we lost something important when we stopped investing in neighborhood schools the way we once did.

People often talk about schools only in terms of academics, but schools helped create community. They connected generations. They gave children a sense of belonging. When we lost many of those neighborhood schools, we lost some of that connection, too.

What I want future generations to understand is that Gary is exceptional.

Too often people reduce Gary to crime statistics or negative headlines. They know Michael Jackson, but they don’t know the larger story. They don’t know that people across the country once looked to Gary as a model of Black leadership, Black education, and Black political power.

Gary is more than the stereotypes people attach to it.

What gives me hope today is seeing young people stay and invest in the city. As a teacher, I’ve watched former students become leaders, business owners, and community advocates. They could have left, but many chose to stay and give back.

That is what will determine Gary’s future.

The city that raised me believed in its children. My hope is that future generations continue that tradition and remember that investing in young people is how communities survive and grow.