Jackson Dies at 84, 1972 Gary Convention Marks His Breakthrough

Jackson Dies at 84, 1972 Gary Convention Marks His Breakthrough

Source: Wally McNamee / Getty CHICAGO — Reverand. Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader, two-time presidential candidate, and close ally of Martin Luther King Jr., has died at 84. Gary, Indiana played a key role in Jackson’s rise. In March 1972, more than 8,000 Black leaders, activists, and entertainers gathered in the steel city for the National Black Political Convention. The three-day event focused on how Black Americans could gain more power in…

Jackson left mark in NWI from 1972 convention to Hatcher ties

As a 14-year-old girl, Ragen Hatcher recalled hanging out with a friend at the Hatcher house in Gary when the phone rang. Her friend answered the phone and after a brief moment she hung up. Hatcher asked her friend why she hung up the phone so quickly. Her friend said the caller claimed to be…