Our City Our Voice

The Latinas Welding Guild has been smashing barriers in a world where women are under-represented. Beating the odds in male-dominated industries such as welding doesn’t come easy. But, the Latinas Welding Guild has risen above the challenge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Efforts to improve equity and access at the polls are moving full steam ahead thanks to the Fort Wayne-based nonprofit, Count Us In. With Tuesday marking National Voter Registration Day, the organization is moving forward with its new Racial Justice Accessibility Fellowship. In just a few years, the agency has helped register over 750 voters. They have a specific focus on people who have disabilit...

$4 million grant aims to improve college enrollment for Marion County high school students as part of a newly rolled-out program called College Matters . The Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation is providing the funding with hope as more students enroll and come to college, they’ll not only stay in Indiana and join in the economic growth but share their knowledge to help others navigate college enrollm...

Indianapolis Public Schools is expanding its racial equity work. The district wants to include parents in its equity training. IPS calls it groundwater training for IPS parents. According to the IPS website , groundwater training is “designed to help practitioners at all levels internalize the reality that we live in a racially structured society, and that is what causes racial inequity....

Improving education to gain access to tech jobs is a central focus for the nonprofit Code Black Indy. The organization is expanding its work thanks to a growing commitment and financial support. Code Black Indy says systemic issues has often limited access to tech careers for Black and brown people, who make up about 4% of those in the field. Now able to expand its K-12 work into more schools and...

 Indiana’s blood supply is falling short. Several organizations are partnering and asking for more minorities to come forward. They say there’s more to donations than just your blood type. Right now, Black people account for 1/2-% of all blood donations. Matching blood types is important and minorities carry unique antigens that help with complications from child birth and blood diseases that...

The opioid epidemic has a higher impact on young people and communities of color, with an estimated 300 people dying nationally due to overdose every day. On Saturday, the patch of grass outside Overdose Lifeline on West 42nd Street will be packed with overdose awareness ribbons to symbolize overdose deaths. The organization says its work is to curb outcomes, break the stigma of addiction, and rem...

The American Civil Liberties Union is challenging Indiana’s encroaching-on-an-investigation law. It gives police officers the right to tell citizens to move back 25 feet or risk jail time and a criminal record. The ACLU says the law gives police unbridled discretion. The ACLU filed the lawsuit on behalf of a citizen journalist in South Bend. The lawsuit claims police told him to move back 25 feet...

WISH-TV is teaming up with Teachers’ Treasures, a free store for teachers, for the ninth annual Gr8 Paper Push to help stock classrooms with school supplies. Margaret Sheehan from Teachers’ Treasures joined Daybreak to speak more about the organization and how they help teachers across Indiana. According to the National Education Association, more than 90% of teachers spend their own money on scho...

As the housing crisis hits Indiana’s growing immigrant community, two agencies are partnering to ease challenges in the application process. Immigrant Welcome Center representatives say it’s safe to say all new immigrants face housing insecurity, especially if they don’t already have family here or a sponsor. Then you add missing documentation and identification, it becomes an uphill climb. Housin...

An affordable housing pilot program has been designed to help set up families for success. Spearheading the program, the MLK Center needs the support of the community and landlords. The first of two families in the pilot program has already moved in. In addition to the affordable housing support, the family also will get support specifically focused on education and financial literacy with a goal...

Indiana is adding an extra $500,000 in grant funding to support Hoosiers living with sickle cell disease, which many say is a vital tool to support education and attack health disparities. Sickle cell is a condition most often found in Black people. It’s a disease marked by sickle-shaped blood cells that don’t flow smoothly, causing a backup in blood flow and debilitating pain. In Indiana, around...

In an exclusive interview News 8’s Brittany Noble  spoke with one of the co-founders of Black Music Month, Dyana Williams.“The mother of Black Music Month” wrote letters, knocked on doors and made phone calls to make this special month a reality. Williams, truly a powerhouse in the entertainment industry, has made a lasting imprint in broadcasting, the music world and celebrity media strategy...

A local business is giving Hoosiers the chance to learn more about Indy’s place in Black music history. Indiana State University graduate Sampson Levingston began his own business, Through2Eyes Indiana , during the pandemic. “We’re stuck inside the house and then we had the Black Lives Matter movement and we had so much going on in our country,” Levingston said. “I knew so much about our history a...

Depression rates among the gender-diverse community suggest that a large number of children and teens have considered suicide. A recent Trevor Project study shows that 50% percent of gender-diverse kids — those whose gender identity or expression does not conform to male or female — have considered suicide in the last year. Numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau show that this group experiences signi...

Indianapolis sports teams are working to use their sporting platform to support LGBTQ+ inclusion. News 8 spoke with Shelly Snider, Executive Director of Indy Pride, and Tracy Ellis-Ward, Pacers Sports and Entertainment, Senior Vice President of diversity, equity, and inclusion, to learn more about the impact of LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Califor...

While there will be a lot of festivities happening this month the Latinx community will be celebrating a milestone in the gay rights movement. Pride Month is more than just a celebration. According to Indy Pride , it’s also an opportunity to raise awareness, and in the Latinx community, there’s a new campaign that is shedding light on their challenges and triumphs. The campaign is called Generació...

LGBTQ+ advocates warn this Pride Month is more important than ever to remain visible after legislation targeting their community passed in Indiana. Advocates across central Indiana said Pride is a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and a chance to live authentically, but with recent legislative changes, this year’s celebration is a chance to make a statement. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.c...

Thousands enjoyed an afternoon of music, food, and fun at the 3rd annual Greenwood Pride festival Saturday. “Pride is being able to be who you are, being proud of who you are, and knowing that there are other people like you in the community,” said Suzanne Fortenbury, executive director of Greenwood Pride. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art...

Pride month has officially started, and Indy Pride has added roughly 20 events to its calendar. Organizers say people can expect a bigger and better event. For around 10 days, Military Park will be transformed into the Pride festival grounds. Organizers say they took feedback, and this go-around you’ll have more space to roam, see venders performs, and much more. See Privacy Policy at https://art1...

At only 3 years old, the executive director of the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, Glen Kwok, began his journey of success in the world of music. However, it was his love for the violin that gave him life changing experiences. He lives in Indianapolis and leads one of the world’s greatest music competitions. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy N...

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) is packed with excitement, but for some race fans, it can be an overwhelming shock to the senses. A local non-profit is making free sensory backpacks available for the first time. Today’s Champions have delivered over 100 sensory bags to IMS. They say this work has been 30 years in the making. their son, who has autism, inspired this work, and they hope the se...

eeping a centuries-old dance form alive is one way to keep up with tradition. The Carmel-based Nrityangan Kathak Academy is teaching a new generation a north Indian classical dance form. Instructor Anindita Sen says when it comes to North Indian classical dance, this one is unique, as it has Hindu, Persian, and Islamic influences, making it a very rich form of dance. She says it’s an important pie...

The Indiana Historical Society's traveling exhibit "Be Heard: Asian Experiences in Indiana" takes a closer look at what it's been like to be Asian in Indiana throughout the past two centuries. Since 2016, the Indiana Historical Society's multicultural collections curator Nicole Martinez-LeGrand has helped uncover stories of different Asian voices all across the state. The exhibit puts a...

May is Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage month, and the broad Asian community in Indiana is vibrant in culture and contributions. One woman’s dedication stems from her Asian heritage and the need to help break barriers to success. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .