Civil Rights Hall of Fame

“Sometimes I can't believe it
I'm movin' past the feeling and into the night”
Arcade Fire, from “The Suburbs”

The band Arcade Fire has the number one album in America. Despite being from Canada originally, where arcades were probably an integral part of youth culture, they played several free concerts on Barack Obama’s behalf. “The Suburbs” mentions “all of the walls they built in the 70s” to keep minorities in their place finally falling. One can hope.

CRA archivist Steve McShane, IUN librarian Tim Sutherland and I met with Richard Gordon Hatcher to discuss the Civil Rights Hall of Fame. The former Gary mayor has been attempting to launch such a project since 1981, the year archconservative Ronald Reagan took office, signaling the demise of Great Society model cities initiatives. For $50,000 the Gary school board is making available the old Bannaker School (now occupying the former Kennedy-King middle school in Miller). It will take millions to refurbish it as the temporary quarters for the Hall of Fame until a new facility is built next door. For years The Post-Tribune has insinuated without proof that contributions have been wasted. Most of the pledged money came with strings attached – such as construction begin within five years.

Wanting the Hall of Fame to have an archives and library, Hatcher sought our advice on how best to proceed. We believe the best course to be a partnership that would have archival materials stored in our temperature and humidity controlled stacks. I recommended that a Gary room highlight the city’s role in “the movement.” After all, Hatcher became the nation’s first Black mayor as a result of a grassroots movement that overcame an entrenched political machine. The Archives could provide exhibits. Ever since Hatcher left office in 1987, we have been after his papers, which remain warehoused in his garage. He seemed receptive to our ideas, but we’ll see. He’s very deliberate. Some years ago I spent a many hours interviewing Hatcher at his home on a book project that never materialized. I wanted it to be autobiographical while he envisioned a series of essays along the lines of Cornell West’s “Race Matters.” I used much of the material in Steel Shavings magazine, for a book about Black Mayors, and in putting together “Gary’s First Hundred Years.” Now 77 years old, Hatcher is still sharp as ever though somewhat hard of hearing. He went through life with one eye, so being a little deaf should be no big deal. He’s one of my few political heroes, a Sixties militant yet willing to work within the system. With Hatcher was Hall of Fame board member Lamar Taylor, to whom I gave a copy of “Gary’s First Hundred Years.”

Indiana Historical Society Press sent four more copies of “Maria’s Journey.” I gave one to Minority Studies professor Raoul Contreras in hopes he’ll adopt it in his course on Latinos in America. Looked into how to get The Post-Tribune to do a feature on it. Rich James suggested contacting columnist Jerry Davich, adding: “I would like to read ‘Maria’s Journey.’ I heard over the years that she was the glue to the family. And of course I followed the careers of the Arredondo brothers. They are all different.” On the NWI Times website discussion page some joker who calls himself “mytwocents” dissed the book as one-sided and wondered how much the authors paid to have it published. I replied: “I suggest you read the book and reconsider your criticism. John Bodnar, the foremost immigration in the country, would not have written the introduction, nor would the Indiana Historical Society Press have published it, unless it had historical value.”

William J. Lowe, IU Northwest’s new chancellor, held two “town hall meetings” to defend making the staff basically punch a time clock (logging in and out) and provide details on a shuttle to and from the Village shopping center at Grant Street, the site of art and theater classes as well as additional parking. Being officially retired, I opted not to attend. Wonder what faculty and staff thought of him. In 1970, I befriended a Psychology professor named Frank Lowe. His wife invited me to a surprise fortieth birthday party, and Frank seemed pissed that his wife called attention to his age.

I sent John Laue, in town working on his book about residents who lived within the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, my “Last Hurrah” account of our final weekend in our old place. He emailed a typescript of our interview. This paragraph makes reference to a traumatic incident of ten years ago when Dave, Angie, and I feared for our lives. Three armed robbers held us hostage for 90 minutes (see Steel Shavings, volume 33, “Life in the Calumet Region during the Year 2000”): “Our relationship with the National Park Service has always been pretty good. Over the years, we’ve had minimal dealings. We might see a ranger car once a week or even less. One time, a tree fell down on our driveway, and a ranger came by and helped remove it. There was a cabin down the street from us—we called it the mystery cabin until a couple moved in whom we befriended. When they got divorced and moved out, it started to deteriorate. They ended up giving us the cabin after we paid the back taxes. My wife Toni spent a lot of time and money fixing that place up, and my son and his wife moved in. In the year 2000, there was a home invasion that caused Dave and Angie to move elsewhere. Later that year, we found a dead body on Maple Avenue a block down from us, the result, authorities suspected, of a drug deal gone sour. Other than those two incidents, we’ve always felt safe and secure. It’s rare that we see a car come up this road. Paul and Lauren, who bought the leaseback to the cabin, have dogs whose barking discourages folks from walking up the road.”

Bowled a 529 series, including a 200 game, on opening night of Sheet and Tin league play (one more sign summer is nearly over). Clark Metz beat my score by six pins, opening with a 217. Pressed into service because Rob was on one of his frequent excursions, 82 year-old Bill Batalis bowled above his average, enabling the Electrical Engineers to win 5 of 7 points. Despite the dismal economy, we had a full house of 16 teams. A friendly Latino guy who hadn’t bowled in years expressed surprise that our team was still in existence.

In an episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” entitled “Club Soda and Salt” (a formula for removing stains), Cheryl has a male friend named Jeff who Larry is convinced is trying to get in her pants. In her car Larry discovers a tape of Al Green songs Jeff’s given her, including “Be With Me.” In the final scene wine gets spilled on the front of Cheryl’s dress, and Jeff is groping her as he administers club soda and salt.

Toni finished the August 8 New York Times Magazine Sunday crossword puzzle (one answer was Fabian, the one-named Fifties teen idol) whose cover story by Daphne Merkin, “My Shrunk Life,” dealt with going through 40 years of psychoanalysis, starting at age ten. Merkin uses anthropologist Clifford Geertz’s phrase “thick description” that I first heard from Chuck Gallmeier when he was touting the value of Steel Shavings magazine.