Draft:White Flight in Gary

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White flight in Gary, Indiana refers to the large-scale migration of White residents from Gary, Indiana, particularly during the 1960s through the 1980s, as African American political influence and demographic majority increased. The phenomenon coincided with industrial decline, suburban expansion, and local political shifts during an era marked by Black empowerment and civil rights progress in the city.

Background (pre-1960s)

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Gary was founded in 1906 by U.S. Steel and quickly developed into a major industrial center on Lake Michigan.[1][2] In its early decades, the city’s population was ethnically diverse, drawing migrants from Europe, the American South, and Mexico.[3][4]

By 1930, approximately 21% of Gary's population was Black or Hispanic. That share rose to 39% by 1960, with nearly all Black residents residing in Midtown—then 97% of the city's Black population.[5][6][unreliable source]

Gary fully integrated its public schools by 1945[failed verification] and, in 1967, elected Richard G. Hatcher as its first Black mayor — becoming the first major Northern U.S. city to do so.[7]

Rise of Black political power

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Richard Hatcher’s 1967 primary victory and subsequent inauguration in 1968 marked a turning point in the city’s racial and political landscape.[8] Although Black residents were only a slight majority at the time, they had significantly higher voter turnout than White residents.[9]

During Hatcher’s two-decade mayoralty (1968–1988), Gary became a national center for Black political activism.[8] The city hosted the National Black Political Convention in 1972, attended by over 10,000 delegates and activists. The resulting "Gary Declaration" advocated for independent Black political action.[10]

White flight: timeline and drivers

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Population and demographic shifts

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Between 1960 and 1990, Gary lost approximately 60,000 residents, the majority of whom were White.[11][failed verification] The 1970 census showed that Gary was 53% Black or Hispanic. By 2000, over 84% of the population was African American.[12][13][failed verification]

Political change and municipal policies

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Although White flight began before Hatcher’s term, his election accelerated the movement of White residents and institutions to the suburbs. Gary's failed 1971 attempt to annex the nearby area of Merrillville - later incorporated separately - resulted in the loss of commercial and residential tax revenue. Over 100 businesses relocated there during Hatcher’s tenure.[14][page needed]

Economic restructuring

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The collapse of the steel industry, Gary’s economic backbone, severely impacted employment and municipal revenue. Automation, foreign competition, and outsourcing led to the closure or downsizing of major plants, compounding urban decay.[3][15]

Racialized fears

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Many former residents cited racial fears and resentment of Black political control as reasons for their departure. One resident recalled, "In 1981, people started moving out [when] they started seeing Black people coming in."[3] Scholars and journalists[who?] noted that White residents viewed Black governance as a threat, accelerating their departure from urban cores.[11]

Impacts on the city

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Urban decay and disinvestment

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White flight led to significant disinvestment in Gary’s downtown and infrastructure. Between 1967 and 1987, nearly all major retailers and banks relocated to suburban Merrillville. By the late 1990s, a third of Gary’s homes were abandoned.[16][failed verification]

Economic and service decline

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The city’s eroding tax base crippled its public services. Police forces, schools, and infrastructure deteriorated. In the 1990s, Gary earned the nickname “Scary Gary” due to high crime rates and municipal dysfunction.[17][18][unreliable source]

Cultural and social shifts

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The demographic transformation reshaped Gary’s civic landscape. Black newspapers like the Gary American flourished. Prominent African Americans from Gary — such as Katie Hall and Carolyn Brown Mosby — rose to state and federal office in the 1970s and 1980s.[19][20][relevant?]

Debates and interpretations

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Race vs. economic decline?

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Some scholars argue that White flight in Gary was primarily driven by economic decline rather than race alone, as similar depopulation occurred across the Rust Belt. However, the racialized nature of Gary’s transformation—coupled with explicit fears of Black political control—suggests that race was a significant factor.[21][22]

Role of municipal leadership and policy

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Critics argue that Hatcher's leadership style contributed to White and business departures, while supporters contend he inherited systemic problems and faced racially motivated opposition from state and regional actors.[15]

Legacy

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Gary became emblematic of the intertwined effects of industrial collapse, racial transition, and suburbanization. It served as a case study in urban disinvestment and Black political resilience. As of the 2020s, elected officials like Mayor Eddie Melton have focused on redevelopment, tax reform, and reversing decades of decay.[15]

References

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  1. ^ "About Gary". City of Gary, Indiana. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
  2. ^ Allaben, Laura Rose. Gary, Indiana and the US Steel Corporation: An Examination of Race, Class, and Environmental Injustice in Early Twentieth Century Urban Planning. Butler University Libraries (Report). Indianapolis: Butler University. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Arnade, Chris (28 March 2017). "White flight followed factory jobs out of Gary, Indiana. Black people didn't have a choice". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  4. ^ Keiser, Richard A (September 1997). Subordination or Empowerment? African-American Leadership and the Struggle for Urban Political Power. Oxford University Press. p. 65-89. ISBN 0195075692.
  5. ^ "2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  6. ^ "Gary – The Indiana City that has Become a Ghost Town". World Abandoned. 6 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  7. ^ Travis Wright (14 April 2025). "Black Mayors and the Battle Over Urban Leadership". Black Perspectives. African American Intellectual History Society. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  8. ^ a b Johnson, Erick (2 November 2017). "America's first Black Mayor 50 years later". Gary: Gary Crusader.
  9. ^ "Gary, Indiana and the Politics of Race". The Atlantic. October 1967. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  10. ^ "National Black Political Convention, Gary, Indiana (1972)". BlackPast. 12 May 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  11. ^ a b Davich, Jerry (16 June 2015). "Lost Gary excerpt: 'Black Power, White Flight: Population Implosion'". WordPress. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  12. ^ "2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  13. ^ "Harper's Index". Harper's. Vol. 327, no. 1, 962. Harper's Foundation. November 2013. p. 17.(subscription required)
  14. ^ Catlin, Robert A. (October 17, 2014). Racial Politics And Urban Planning: Gary, Indiana, 1980-1989. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 9780813156958.
  15. ^ a b c "Gary, Indiana and the Long Shadow of U.S. Steel". The New Yorker. 17 February 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  16. ^ Nerkar, Santul (3 February 2024). "A City Built on Steel Tries to Reverse Its Decline". New York Times. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  17. ^ "The Rise and Fall of a Great American City: Gary, Indiana". ResearchGate. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  18. ^ Parnaby, Laura (4 February 2024). "Inside America's deserted steel town 'Scary Gary' - where 10,000 buildings sit abandoned after HALF the population fled - as it turns to foreign investors to save its dying mill which built the country's bridges, tunnels and skyscrapers". Daily Mail. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  19. ^ "HALL, Katie Beatrice". History, Art & Archives. U.S. House of Representatives. Archived from the original on December 28, 2018.
  20. ^ "Carolyn B. Mosby, 57, Indiana State Senator" Chicago Tribune, Jan 23, 1990. [1]. Accessed Jan 14, 1015
  21. ^ Roberto, Elizabeth; Hwang, Jackelyn (2017). Barriers to integration: Institutionalized boundaries and the spatial structure of residential segregation (PDF). Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America (Report). Chicago, Illinois: Princeton University. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  22. ^ Devorah Rapoport, Erin (2014). The Politics of Disinvestment and Development in Gary, Indiana. Advocates Forum (Report). Chicago: The University Of Chicago.


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