‘This is Gary’ kicks off
Area youth learn about business owners’ journeys to success
“I want young people to know that anything is possible... Never give up. Never give up.” — William Salaam, owner of The Spott Clothing Store
Young people were encouraged to follow their dreams and never give up Wednesday during Youth Empowerment Day, the kick-off event for “This is Gary”.
“This is Gary” includes series of events running Tuesday through Sunday is designed to honor and raise awareness of the city’s greatness while continuing the process to transform its narrative, organizer Joslyn Kelly, owner of J’s Breakfast Club in Gary, said.
About 125 young people from the Gary Community School Corp., the city’s charter schools, Merrillville School Corp., youth camps and individuals attended the session, Kelly said.
“My prayer, through this opportunity they’re exposed to what can be,” Kelly said.
Apparel entrepreneur William Salaam of Gary moved from Chicago to the city to start his business, The Spott clothing store at 38th Avenue and Broadway in 1996, at the invitation of other city business owners.
The self-made millionaire, who still lives in the city, now owns Bronzeville Boutique in Chicago, where he moved the business after the 2008 economic downturn. His start in Gary allowed him to become the No. 1 boutique in Chicago in 2014.
“I want young people to know that anything is possible,” Salaam said. No matter what you may choose to do, he said, just be the best of the best, he continued.
“Never give up. Never give up,” Salaam said.
Young people need to surround themselves with like-minded friends if they want to be successful, he said.
“Your circumstance doesn’t determine you outcome,” Salaam said.
Life is hard; Being successful is hard; Living in poverty is hard, he said.
“If I have to choose my hard, I choose successful,” Salaam said. “The apparel business has allowed me and my family to live all their dreams and it started right there in Gary, Indiana.”
Darrell Riddell, director of information technology for the Gary Community School Corp.,
told a group of students from the 21st Century Charter School in Gary, regardless of the career they choose, technology will be a part of it.
“Nobody is going to come and knock on your door for you to be successful. The only person who can stop you is you. Learn when you fail to get back up,” Riddell said.
He advised students to research what they think they want to do, and if it turns out they do not like their choice, do not give up and try again.
Eric Blackmon Sr., who owns Blaq Transport LLC in Merrillville, said he attended high school in Gary like so many of the student participants Wednesday. Like Riddell, Blackmon said youth need to research their career fields and make sure it is what they expect.
College may not be for everyone, and the trades can offer a viable career path, he said.
“I started out working at Dunkin Donuts as a clean-up kid. When I left, I was a district manager over eight stores,” he said. Today he runs his own transportation company.
If you start a field and don’t like it, start over, Blackmon said, as it’s never too late to start something new. In May, Blackmon secured the Democratic nomination for Ross Township Trustee, and if elected, he said it will be a new career for him.
21st Century Charter School students Ariel Black, Anquan West, Tyson Duncan and Jasmine Hullett, all 16, said they were surprised to learn how many successful people live in or came from Gary.
“it was shocking,” Duncan said.
West agreed.
“It gave me a different view of Gary. There are lots of opportunities to be successful,” he said.
Black said listening to the presenters changed her mind about the city and made her want to get her own business up and running. Black said she would like to design shoes.
“It makes me feel like anything is possible,” she said.
Hullett said meeting the business and community leaders made her feel like she could get their opinions about her plans.
“I feel like it brought me a connection,” she said.
“This is Gary” continues throughout the week with a Be the Change Day on Thursday. Kick off takes place at 8 a.m. at 26th and Broadway and will included clean up and beautification projects along with conversations focused on the action of transformation. Heritage Day takes place Friday and will include a mobile museum tour by bus of a collection of historical facts matched to physical places.
A formal Vision Ball takes place on Saturday and will include the Trailblazer Impact Award Reception. The week-long event culminates Sunday with a Gospel Explosion Concert.
“I am calling on our community to embrace the vision to transform the current narrative of our city,” Kelly said. “This transformation involves the whole village, and the required will be great. Together we can produce and showcase what’s good while working towards being the change.”