(CIVIL RIGHTS.) INDIANA. Petition. To Mayor Finerty and School Board. Partially printed petition (12-1/2 x 9 inches), filled out by hand. Gary, IN, October, 1945
The post-World War II period (1945-1960) brought great changes to typically working class neighborhoods. The influx of veterans with families seeking work and housing in industrial areas quickly filled places like Gary, Indiana. Gary's school system was a racially mixed one, but it wasn't receiving its fair share of funding. After a strike and after riot conditions were narrowly avoided, a settlement of sorts was reached. However, not all were satisfied. As this petition points out, Negro parents were not included in the settlement talks.
