Former Mayor of Gary, Richard Gordon Hatcher announced Rev. Al Sharpton as the guest speaker at “National Civil Rights Day” to be held on August 12, 2018 at 4:30 p.m. at the Genesis Center in Gary. The National Civil Rights Institute and Hall of Fame is seeking support from the entire region to celebrate the holiday that was created the same year as the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday.
“We need the whole community to take part in this celebration because civil rights affects everyone,” said Hatcher.
The NCRIHOF was recently awarded a grant from the Federal Economic Development Administration, EDA, to study the optimum location and financial feasibility for the future historic landmark. ConsultEcon, Inc., an economic and management consultant group based in Cambridge MA, was commissioned to provide recommendations for the project. The results from the study are expected in late August.
Ron Matlock, a planning committee member, said “It’s a timely event for the region, given the current administration in our nation’s capital. Now is the time to fight to preserve those civil rights that our modern-day civil rights leaders struggled to gain.”
The effort to construct the NCRIHOF in Gary, Indiana is nearing completion and this event will contribute greatly to this cause. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased by calling Angela Theus at 219-629-1401. For more information, contact Lamar Taylor at 219-880-9000.
