Ink Notes 01-20-22
Local leader Bennie Edwards was recently recognized in Indianapolis by The Indiana Civil Rights Commission (ICRC) and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Indiana Holiday Commission at the State of Indiana’s 31st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Indiana Holiday Celebration.
This event took place on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022, at 12:00pm EST at the Indiana Statehouse. He was nominated by George Hicks, a resident of Fort Wayne who is a member of the ICRC.
The program included an awards presentation honoring four Hoosiers who have worked diligently to improve their communities in a manner that exemplifies the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The 2022 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Recipients are as follows:
Freedom Award Reverend Malachi Walker – Director, Young Men's Incorporated
Chairman’s Award Bennie Edwards – President, MLK Club Inc.
Trailblazer Award Pastor James Jackson – Lead Pastor, Fervent Prayer Church
Civil Rights Champion Award Marco Dominguez – Director of Community Relations, Financial Credit Union Center
This year’s program featured addresses from Indiana Gov. Holcomb and ICRC Executive Director Gregory L. Wilson.
About Indiana Civil Rights Commission
The Indiana Civil Rights Commission (ICRC) enforces the civil rights laws of the State of Indiana. We investigate complaints of discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodation, credit and education. We also educate organizations, companies, landlords, associations, and individuals on their rights and responsibilities under Indiana Civil Rights Laws and the mission to eradicate discrimination.
Rolland Center for Lincoln Research Opens at ACPL
The new Rolland Center for Lincoln Research opened to the public on Monday, January 10. The Center uses both technology and physical items from the Lincoln Collection to tell the story of the nation’s sixteenth President.
Included in the collection are original photographs of Abraham Lincoln, his family, generals and Cabinet members; letters written to and from Lincoln and others in his administration; diaries of Civil War soldiers; and original newspapers printed in the days surrounding Lincoln’s assassination.
The collection, formerly housed in Lincoln Financial’s museum in Fort Wayne, is now divided between ACPL and Indiana State Museum and Historical Sites. The library houses and curates two-dimensional items such as photographs and letters. The ISMHS houses three-dimensional items such as clothing owned by the President and First Lady, as well as other personal items.
The Rolland Center, which was funded through donations to the Friends of the Lincoln Collection, was built to make the collection more accessible to the public. The family of Ian Rolland, former CEO of Lincoln Financial and member of the Friends of the Lincoln Collection, provided the naming gift for the Center.
For more information about the Rolland Center, call (260) 421-1200 or email Lincoln@acpl.info.
Jim Kelley Career Pathway Center
The Boys and Girls Club of Fort Wayne is set to open the Jim Kelley Career Pathway Center for skilled trades in August of 2022. Tom Kelley is helping to fulfill a dream of his late father, known in the region for his Kelley Automotive Group, by providing the building where the Center will be housed. Located at 2439 Fairfield Ave, this facility will serve youth and teach various skilled trades needed by employers in the region including automotive, construction trades, information technology, manufacturing, welding and supply chain.
The club has already raised 3.3 of the $4.5 million needed to open the 13,000-square-foot training center in August. This facility continues and expands the current skilled trades program at Boys & Girls Clubs but will also be used in connection with Fort Wayne Community Schools eighth-graders to get them exposure to the trades as a career option.
The two-story state-of-the-art building will include learning labs, computers as well as software and equipment to provide students opportunities to learn about supply chain management, automotive, manufacturing, construction trades and more, to prepare them to successfully enter into skilled trades and manufacturing careers.