The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Mayor Of Gary, Indiana Eddie Melton Talks '2300 Jackson Street Block Party,' Trump, Joe Budden +More

Episode Date: September 1, 2025

Today on The Breakfast Club, Mayor Of Gary, Indiana Eddie Melton Talks '2300 Jackson Street Block Party,' Trump, Joe Budden. Listen For More!YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious. Wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, luckily, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend's been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone.

Now, hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That seems inappropriate. Maybe find out how it ends by listening to the OK Storytime podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, my name is Enya Umanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you.

But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh, my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. Short on time, but big on true crime.

On a recent episode of the podcast, Hunting for Answers, I highlighted the story of 19-year-old Lechay Dungey. But she never knocked on that door. She never made it inside. And that text message would be the last time anyone would ever hear from her. Listen to Hunting for Answers from the. the Black Effect Podcast Network on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Dr. Joy Hardin-Brandt Bradford, host of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast. I know how

overwhelming it can feel if flying makes you anxious. In session 418 of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast, Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett and I discuss flight anxiety. What is not a norm is to allow it to prevent you from doing the things that you want to do. The things that you want to do, the things that she were meant to do. Listen to therapy for black girls on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hold on. Every day I wake up.

Wake your ass up. The Breakfast Club. You're all finished or y'all's done? Yep. It's the World Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club. Shalameen to God, Jets hilarious. Invie had to step out, but we got a special guest in the building. He is the mayor of Gary, Indiana.

Mr. Mayor Eddie Melton. How are you doing, brother? I'm blessed. I'm blessed. Thanks for having me. Thanks for having me today. Man, I got to get right to it. Is the Trump administration targeting cities with black mayors, man? I mean, I think it's clear, based off the reports that we're seeing, you see what's happening in Chicago, Baltimore, and the threats in D.C. As a black mayor in a Republican state, you know,

it's definitely a concern to see something like that happen. When I look at the facts, you know that the military has no arresting powers, and it's a waste of resources to put military on the ground, and it's dangerous. So I agree with what's taking place from the pushback, but I think the conversation has to shift what type of resources do we need to invest. Housing, mental health, you know, just to help reduce overall crimes. Job training programs.

The entire gambit. Cities like Baltimore, Chicago, Birmingham, reduction of crime is happening. We had a 55% reduction of homicide this year, something that we're extremely proud of. So shout out to the Gary Police Department. Chief Derek Cannon for his leadership. So, yeah, I'm against it,

but we have to have the conversation about what do we do as a United States to invest in our people, not just in policing. Can I ask you a question? What matters more, right? Data are feelings. And what I mean by that is,

you know, we hear these numbers about the crime statistics going down, but there's people who live in those cities who'll be like, we don't feel it. You know what I mean? And I always say, just because somebody was 500 pounds and they lost 200,

300 so they still kind of fat you know they still fact no that's a real thing feeling is a real thing what you see and what you engage and feel in but the data speaks to is there a trend and what are we doing that's helping is it getting better is it getting better if we know that we've invested more into summer programs after-school programs workforce development programs then we should be looking for additional funding to fund that more so I think it's a balance right but you have to be aware of what the people are saying what the people are feeling, you know, being a mayor is a very difficult and challenging, but most

rewarding job, especially when you grew up in the city that helped raise you. So I have family that have struggled and experienced some of these heartaches. So I'm just proud of the progress that we're making, but we're just getting started. We got a long ways to go. Why is it so fulfilling to be a mayor? Man, growing up in Gary in the 90s and the negative stigma that you all probably already heard of, we're transforming that. We're changing that narrative. We're changing the way people are thinking and feeling about the city by investing the people, but also raising the awareness what people don't know about the city.

Of course, you know, we're about 35 minutes from downtown Chicago. That's great. But folks don't know we have an international airport that we share in collection with Chicago. Myself and Brandon Johnson, Mayor of Chicago, we talk often about how we can grow that international airport. A lot of folks don't know Gary sits right on Lake Michigan. We have five miles of beachfront property. The individuals come. We had a quarter of a million people just two weeks ago in Gary, Indiana, at the Gary Chicago airshow, at the Gary Airshow.

So that was something that we brought in more revenue, more people are coming to see the positive things that's taking place. I can go on and on. There's a lot of these we'll probably weave into the conversation, but to grow up in the city that made you to the person that you are, I was able to have been blessed to have great mentors, able to go to college, went to Kentucky State University, shout out to the thoroughbreds, and to come home. I was a state senator for two terms for eight years in Indiana, representing Gary in Northwest Indiana. So it's a blessing, man. It's truly blessed. I give God the glory for that.

I never heard anything bad about Gary, Indiana. That's good. You know, other than my guy, Michael Jackson coming from there, I never heard anything other than that. And I heard you say that, you know, we probably know about some of the things that's been said. That's the only thing I've heard. That's a blessing. I'm glad that's never occurred, right?

Jackson's and Freddie Gibbs. Michael Jackson, Jackson, Jackson's Prize, Freddie Gibbs. I was with Freddie last night. Oh, right. Yeah, okay. He said, what's up, man? I said, Denise Williams, right? It's so many.

Big Dog, Glenn Robertson. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. So the list goes on in terms of the history and the culture that Gary has. Gary was founded by a U.S. Steel, 1906. So we are a steel city, steel town. We've seen the ups and we've seen the downs. Just like a lot of Rust Bell cities across America, like Detroit, Flint. sag in all these cities

that live and work around industry and when the industry had a downturn it was an impact that rippled throughout the country so I'm glad to hear that it's not the negative stuff that year but you know we got so much to celebrate yes Michael Jackson the Jackson 5 Janet Jackson all of them are born and raised

and Gary Denise Williams but this weekend we're going to be celebrating all those folks amazing celebrating all of them what is I got going on this weekend August 29th is Michael's birthday. So we've reached out to the family, just worked with them very closely, we built a very good relationship over the years with the brothers,

Marlon and Jackie be in town, building a relationship with that next generation of the Jackson. So shout out to Siggy Jackson, which is Jackie's oldest son, Prince, Michael's son, who had been supportive to figure out how do we change that narrative about Gary and let people know the positive things that's happened?

So for several years, a little bit over a decade, There was no formal celebration or acknowledgement that the world's most famous entertainment family was from Gary and Michael Jackson from Gary. So I worked with the governor at that time. We got the highway signage set in place to let people know from a tourism perspective. But now we're going to have a formal event to let the world know. You can come in. We got Chris Tucker coming in.

He's going to celebrate with us. DJ Kid Capri. He's going to be there as well to have a good time with us. Denise Williams is going to host one day so we got a lot of folks local DJs DJ All Out

DJ K Cesar DJ Cheesebee so we're bringing the community together but people from around the world are reaching out from Australia

London to say they want to recognize and celebrate Michael at 2300 Jackson Street you remember that song you don't remember that song no probably not you got to Google

that song damn so explain the Nippin partnership Nippon Nippon yeah so I mentioned about U.S. Steel

that's right U.S. steel is one of the largest steel producers in the world. At one point, they were the number one steel producer in the world. Over time, they slipped down a low 20s. Napan is from Japan, it's a Japanese company. When I came into office in 2024, there was a threat that U.S. steel would actually close plants. Now, keep in mind, at Gary's height, U.S. Steel had a 30,000 employees. Right now, we got 4,000 employees.

That's automation, that's technology, and that's the downturn of the industry. But the steel production happens. So the cans, the canned goods that you have, the washing machines that you use, all of that is from steel production, and most of that have probably come from U.S. Steel from Gary Works. Shout out to Markelle Watkins is here with me. He's a steel worker that's right behind me. So Napan Steel, knowing that U.S. I thought that was your security.

I ain't go back. Yeah, I thought he was a good boy, I didn't know. Security outside. Shout out to dinner. No, but Napan Steel made an offer to purchase U.S.D, which was very controversial in the beginning. When I came in, I was skeptical just like many people to have a foreign entity seek to buy a U.S. company,

like U.S. Steel, of that magnitude. So there was a lot of concerns and issues. So I did the due diligence. I met with U.S. Steel. I met with Napan Steel to learn what type of investments they want to make. when you live in cities like Gary that have pollution, you know, from a legacy perspective in the still making process, the community is always going to be concerned of the impact to the environment.

So that was a concern of mine, ensuring that jobs were staying in place. Those 3,000 workers, many of them, well, most of them, some of them live in the city of Gary. And that's something that we're going to address as well, making sure that the employment abilities is there. So this deal was closed. We worked with Congressman Benny Thompson, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, and Congressman Jim Clyburn was extremely helpful, both in the Biden and Trump administration for us to have this conversation to say, this deal has to go through. $14 billion investment that Napan has purchased.

Well, not a purchase. They partner with U.S. deal. Three billion is going to go directly in the city of Gary. works plan. Wow, 70,000 jobs, I think I saw. Well, nationwide, right? Nationwide, but there's going to be at a minimum of 1,000 new jobs in the city of gear. That's dope. Right. So we're working with NAPON right now as we speak. They're getting ready to reline the blast furnace, blast furnace, blast furnace, which is the largest steel producing blast furnace in U.S. Steel's portfolio. So when you think about relining a blast furnace, and increasing steel production

that's more jobs is protecting national security. everything like that. So it's a good deal from an environmental standpoint. The Japanese are bringing their technology to make the steelmaking process a cleaner process for the community. So that's something that's extremely important. So those investments are going to soon trickle down into the specific community so we can invest in our infrastructure, paving streets, street lights, stop lights, all those type of things that need to be fixed right now. that historically Gary has had issues doing because we didn't have the revenue

but now we're working with our corporate partners to make that happen. How much credit does Trump get for that? I saw when he announced back in May that, you know, that U.S. deal was going to remain American-owned and he talked about the partnership. So how much credit does he give for that? I mean, any president has to say so.

Gotcha. So he definitely has the credit in terms of approving the deal. So I'm grateful for that. But now it's time to make sure that deal happens. all of that investment, that $3 billion, has to be invested by 2028. So that's a very small window to spend and invest $3 billion.

So those tax dollars of that investment is going to be reinvested back into the city. And we're working right now with U.S. Steel and the Pond to figure out what's the best method to deploy those dollars into the streets. I was going to ask that, like, where does that money go? Because, you know, people hear these numbers and they're like $3 billion into our town,

into our city, but where does that go? That $3 billion goes into the infrastructure into the plant. The way that is assessed, though that infrastructure enhancement is assessed, is going to relating to some tax dollars locally. And that's what we're going to work directly with Napan and U.S. Steel to figure out what's the best formula that we can invest directly into pavement of streets, the street lights, traffic lights, public safety, right?

Making sure that we could pay our police and fire, EMS workers, the adequate wage because right now, our police and fires are getting siphoned off from other communities. They're the best trained, but because we can't pay them that wage, that's changing right now. So a lot of folks are applying to become firefighters. Shout to 359, local 359 area firefighters in GFD,

the local police union. But it's a lot of good stuff happening, man, in terms of just what the potential and the direction are we going into. What other plans do you have to revitalize the city, you know, following the success of the deal When we first came in, we had to stabilize finances. That was extremely important.

So right now for the first time, like close to a decade, we have a surplus. So making wise decisions. When I came in, I spent, you know, the eight years that was in Indiana Senate speaking to my staff to say, hey, we have to reserve at least 10% of your budget every year before we make significant purchases or investments. Investing in people was going to be number one. So we've tripled the amount of investments and through our infrastructure. actually paving streets. And now, just like you say, a lot of people say, you ain't paved my street, right?

Because it hasn't happened, but we're paving major thoroughfares. When I came in an office, significant amount of streetlights were out, right? The city owned a little bit over 2,000 streetlights. I'll say 900 were almost either malfunctioned or broken. By the end of this year, every single street light is going to be energy efficient LED.

So that investment is happening right now is going to make it safer, it's going to be making it more enjoyable. But we have a new deal with the Hard Rock Casino. Harrod Rock just was built around 2021. So when I was state senator, I passed Senate Bill 434, which allows us to enter into a public-private partnership to build a new convention center. 8094 is probably the nation's busiest highway, and that's what take you from Chicago to Detroit, right? Gary Smackdab right in the middle of that.

nearly 300,000 cars a day. So Hard Rock, before Hard Rock, we had another casino that was on our lakefront. I helped pass the law to move gaming from waterfront to land base in 2019. Now that they broke ground and built the Hard Rock. We were the lowest revenue generator in the state. Now we're number one. Wow. Right.

So now that investment, we're going to build a $140 million convention center, right? thrown 8094 in conjunction with hard rock hard rock is going to build a new hotel we have a private developer that's getting ready to build two no two new hotels and two new restaurants right at the gateway of birth street in gary indiana i love that that is that's dope how do you plan to ensure that gary doesn't see another decline similar to what happened after the first collapse of this yeah i mean we got to look at diversifying just our whole economic face right transportation logistics is something that I'm very passionate about right now. And I'm not talking about

putting truck stops and things like that. We're talking about international flights. Again, with the Gary Chicago Airport, we have, if you pull up a map of Gary, Indiana, or in the state of Indiana, they say Indiana is the crossroads to America. I'm not sure you've ever heard that slow. Most transit or highways and rail traffic go through Indiana.

And when you look at a map, much of that intersects between Chicago and Gary. So three class one rail lines, most commerce is moving east and west is going to go through the city. So how do we maximize and build off of that from a warehousing distribution? FedEx. Working with FedEx and a private developer, they're getting ready to break around now on a 300,000 square foot facility. That facility is going to hire 600 new employees. So within a year and a half of being in office, we have close to 2,000 jobs that has been confirmed over the next four to five years.

two to five years as we just got started. Question, is it because of the nip-on? No. Okay, okay. No, I mean. I just wonder if other people want to be there now because they go that. It's a buzz. It's a vibe and energy right now because of the investments that we're doing from a very

grassroots level, from individuals that's investing in their own homes to people investing in properties and flipping properties now for the first time of 50 years. And this is based off a study that Indiana University Northwest has done. Gary's population has grown for the first time in 50 years. Wow. Right? So although it's just a few hundred people, that's still a significant trend that we're tracking. So now that we know, okay, somewhere on to something here, making it cleaner, making it safer, making it more energy efficient, making it more resilient.

Because I believe in the next 10 years, more folks are going to be moving to the Midwest. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious. Oh, wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, it's back to school week. on the okay story time podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend has been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now, he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Now hold up. Isn't that

against school policy? That sounds totally inappropriate. Well, according to this person, this is her boyfriend's former professor and they're the same age. It's even more likely that they're cheating. He insists there's nothing between them. I mean, do you believe him? Well, he's certainly trying to get this person to believe him because he now wants them both to meet. So, do we find out if this person's boyfriend really cheated with his professor or not? To hear the explosive finale, listen to the OK Storytime

podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hello, it's Daniel Official. Writer Strong. And Wilfredel from PodMeets World. And we're bringing you Viva Las Content. That's right. We are back in Las Vegas, the city of sin,

and giving the people what they want. A full week. of Y2K content. Wait, we're back in Vegas? Tell me why. Well, for the Backstreet Boys residency at Sphere, of course. We sat down with Kevin Richardson and A.J. McLean just minutes before they took the stage, and our very own Wilfredel basically became the newest member of the band.

Boy band, please. Plus, the man who has the longest running comedy show on the strip joins us and gets his props. It's Carrot Top, baby. And finally, we all L-O-V-E-Hur, Ashley Simpson Ross joins us to talk about her upcoming sold-out Vegas residency. It's a full week of nostalgic interviews you don't want to miss. Listen to PodMeets World on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, my name is Enya Yumanzoor.

And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, Psychobabble. Yes, yes.

Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. The Super Secret Festi Club podcast season four is here. And we're locked in. That means more juicy cheesement. Terrible love advice. Evil spells to cast on your ex.

No, no, no, no. We're not doing that this season. Oh, well, this season we're leveling up. Each episode will feature a special bestie, and you're not going to want to miss it. Get in here! Today we have a very special guest with us. Our new super secret bestie is The diva of the people. The diva of the people.

I'm just like text your ex. My theory is that if you need to figure out that the stove is hot, go and touch it. Go and figure it out for yourself. Okay. That's us. That's us. My name is Curley. And I'm Maya.

In each episode, we'll talk about love, friendship, heartbrates, men, and, of course, our favorite secrets. Listen to the Super Secret Bestie Club as a part of the My Cultura podcast network available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. You know, you look at climate change that's happening. You look at all of the tornadoes and hurricanes and wildfires. Gary's sitting on Lake Michigan, which is a part of the Great Lakes, that's the world's largest fresh body of water. So you're going to need water to survive and have life. You accomplished so much with it only being a year and a half for you being in office. How long did you have this vision of changing Gary before you became the mayor?

Being mayor was never the goal, the goal objective. I just wanted to serve. I just thank God for having a heart and desire. But it's a lot of folks that play a part and kind of mentor me and helping me. Mayor Richard Gordon-Hatcher, one of the nation's first black mayor that was elected. I'm not sure if you guys know him. That's something from a history book lesson. We encourage folks to know that Gary Indiana

had the first black mayor in the United States that was elected. Now, we go back and forth with Mayor Bibbs in Cleveland in terms of Carl Stokes was also elected around that same time frame of who was sworn in first. But Mayor Richard Gordon Hatcher

was very instrumental. In 1972, Gary hosted the National Black Political Convention. I knew that. A lot of folks don't realize. that. I knew that because Angela Rai always talked about it. Oh, yeah. Because you want to do something like that. Something like that. We have to do something like that again to make sure what is our agenda?

What is our policy collectively? What do we want to go to Congress? We can go to the White House as a collective body to say, here are our priorities. But going back to your point in terms of being mayor was never the goal and objective. I was on the State Board of Education first. Then that's someone on the State Board of Education. Look, if you want to know what's going on, follow the money when i started following the money i started realizing wait a minute we're not getting our fair share of resources on educational system because it was going into private

interest groups if you want to make change at that time my mindset was you got to change policy you got to change laws so that's when i got more engaged on the political aspect and ran for indiana state senate uh we won so thank all of the senate three folks, and here we are today. What would you say to the Gary residents who got concerns and they're pushing back against the Environment Protection Agency? I mean, that's rightfully so. We have a phenomenal advocacy group by the name of Guard

that has helped me. They sit on an advisory panel that I have when we talk about the environment. When you take away certain standards and you allow corporations to emit certain toxins into the air, somebody's going to have to pay that bill from a health perspective. So I stand with them in that regards. So how do we make, and that's what I'm advocating for in this process with the Pond,

will you make the investments to make this a cleaner process? We know we need that industry to stay there. But now that over the last 100 years, things have changed, there's a cleaner way to make steel. Do you fear at all what's happening in D.C.? Do you fear at all? What's happening in D.C. will happen in Gary, with everything that Trump is doing? No, I'm always watching what's happening around the country.

Right now, I'm so locked in and focus on where we are, the progress that we're making. I have a great working relationship with our governor. Being in the Senate that helped me kind of understand how to navigate downstate and work with the Republican Party across party lines. So right now, I think Gary is in a very good position. However, I still know things can change at any given moment, right? I'm not naive to think that he can't.

So I'm trying to make sure that we invest in the right things, we use our resources, in our mission statement. I'm saying we need to be one of the most resilient cities. To your point, Charlemagne, how do we not repeat things that we know that has happened in the past? And that's why I'm trying to protect us from

going down the same cycle. This is my last question. You're not the first person I've heard say that there's an attack on black mayor. right mayor adams came up here maybe a year ago and said that i said it was coming the real focus should be on our national government that's saying why are you doing this to new york why you check out what they're doing they're doing it to new york they're doing it to chicago they're doing it to los angeles they're doing it to houston what is the same in all those cities all black men

all black men and so what we're saying same thing that i'm going through here my brother johnson is going through. My sister Bass is going through. My brother Turner is going through. So our folks, what they wanted to happen, Governor Abbott wanted to happen, we're going to turn these cities against their mayors. We're going to create this environment where they're all going against their mayor. Why? Well, I don't know if I say there was an actual attack on black mayors. I think it's... Yeah, you did. Yeah, you said it's kind of obvious what's going on. Yeah, I mean, it's clear what's taking place. I don't know the why. Right? And I don't try to get into the national politics that deep to understand the why because I just want to stay ready.

Right. Shout up. Dame Dash told me to tell you what's up to. So one of the good sayings that Dane would always say to tell me, if you know the fight is coming, brace your face. Right. But you also got to be ready for war as well at the same time. And I'm saying that in a peaceful term. I'm not saying prepare for war specifically. But being prepared knowing that what type of fight was going to come at hand. Right now, we are in a very good, stable position to make the enhancements and investments in the city. And we're going to continue to do that with the investments that we're talking about with the Ponsdale, with the convention center, with so many other things that we're working on. Absolutely.

And my last question. What should be the messaging of the Democratic Party moving forward to combat trap, to combat Trump and MAGA? I just called that man a tramp. I did not mean to do that. That might stick. It might, but I don't want him to be tweeting about me. Like, he tweeted about my brother who is. So to combat Trump and MAGA.

You know, we need to have a sit-down conversation within the party because I think cities like Gary need to be heard. Communities that voices have not been heard, even within our own party. That we got to make sure our issues are at the table and that it rises up to the forefront to make sure it's going to be addressed. We can't assume that people are going to vote for us because we have one political affiliation. So I'm not prepared to answer that question right now

because I think there's still a lot of work to do to strengthen the party in the organization, but I'm extremely focused as mayor on what do I do for the 70,000 plus people in the city of you. And how do we improve the quality of life of them every single day? And that's extremely important.

Respect. Mr. Mayor Eddie Melton, thank you for coming, brother. I appreciate it for an opportunity, man. God bless. And I can't wait to hear about how it goes down this weekend. You should stop through, man. Yeah, I can we can just stop through, Gary. Why not?

Tell me why not, man. No, we can. I didn't even know it with 30 minutes from Chicago. Yeah. I didn't know that. Yeah. Oh, I didn't know that. Now, we got to look.

We had a train that would get you from Gary to downtown Chicago in 30 minutes. Wow. Flat, period. Okay. Yeah, so next time you're in the area, stop through. Let's give you a tour and show you to say. And let me say this real quick, but I don't mind. Absolutely.

I want to talk about one of our friends, brother Joe Buttons. Joe Buttons. I don't know if you've seen the situation. on this man. Joe Button, I'm sorry. I want to make sure because the brother invited me on the show. It was a situation that occurred. He tried to call out Gary.

I wouldn't even going to go here. Let's go there. You look that up. Hold on. Right, right. Continue. And I'm saying that in a sense of let's have that conversation. You invited me on the show.

Let's have a conversation about the city of Gary. Just like you just, you're like, I don't know anything about Gary. I never heard anything. he may have had an experience once with the platform that you guys have you can't just recklessly say something about a city that you don't know anything about,

especially a predominantly black city. Right. Right? So I called him. Jaru gave me his number, me and Jal chopped it up. By the way, this is the most random conversation. I did not know it will continue.

We went there, man. I didn't know. I didn't know anything about it. I couldn't miss the opportunity to address it, though. Okay. But I say it in all love, but, you know, let's talk. I'm willing to come on the show. He said, Joe said, there's like three traffic lights in Gary.

Gary is six blocks of wind and tumbleweeds. If I had to go to Gary, I'm not going to Gary. Gary was so interesting. I got up and looked out the window on the tour bus like, are we lost? Yeah, that probably was like 15, 20 years ago. But don't say that in 2025. Right? So put some respect on the city.

If not. And you said someone just sent me a video from this guy named Joe Button talking about my hometown like a dog you don't know what you're talking about you have no idea what it's going on and Gary at this moment don't you ever run your mouth about my city Mm-hmm

And then has he recessed with it? Oh, you called in? That's what I don't like about it. Okay. So, Jop put us on the text together. Say we need to talk. Called him,

then they answered, I'm the type of cat. I'm not calling you two or three times. It is what it is at that point. Yeah. So the last time I called him, He picked up the phone and puts me on the show. Oh, you didn't know that.

Okay, got you. Well, he quickly said, you're on the Joe Button podcast. Don't say anything incriminating. I just called to have a conversation. But it's all up, man. Just invite me on the show. Let's clear it up. To do it the right way.

Give the opportunity, just kind of share the positive things that's taking place, man. There's some beautiful people in the city of Gary. I just want to tell that story in terms of our history, our culture, what we've contributed to this country, to this world. Absolutely. Because we're growing as a community. So I'm grateful, I thank God, I thank you guys for giving us this platform

to talk about the positive things that's happening because it's a great of Gary that's moving. How does that hurt when somebody says something like that about the city? How does that hurt Gary? Think about the conversation we were having about troops going into a community. Right? So as a mayor, I got to deal with a couple,

crisis, then I got to deal with my own people with platforms, be it if it's big or small, running a city that's on the rise in the mud. Got you. Right? When we're already trying to dig ourselves out of a hole where people think they know, somebody has been helpful. Mike has been extremely helpful for putting Gary back on the map. Mike has been coming.

Mike has been investing in the city, buying properties and things of that nature. So we invite folks, two chains, all of folks may have been looking to come in. But as I said, before we open the floodgates, it's a Gary first thing. So we're creating a program right now, $30,000 down payment assistance for police, for fire. We're going to open that up to teachers to let them know. We're going to give you the lot, the land. We're going to connect you with our banking partner. We're going to give you directly the builders and the design and templates is already made so you don't have to invest in designing the home.

And with that down payment assistance, now you can be a home on. Yeah. So those are the things that I want to talk about. Yeah. You know, people are going to swear now that you said that told that story, they're going to swear we had you on

because you and Joe Buddy. That is crazy. We didn't even have no issue. I didn't even know anything about that. I don't have no issue with Joe. I'm just saying. But I want to say the reason I wanted you on because I want more black men's on.

We had Mayor Brandon Scott on before because to me, all of the blueprints for what this whole country should be doing. You know, the fact that y'all are getting these resources and making these investments into the community. You're seeing the crime rates reduced. You're seeing people have opportunities to have jobs.

You're making the right investments. Like, y'all are the blueprint that everybody should be following. So I have to Mayor Brandon Scott, man. I watch mayors around the country, the African-American Mayors Association. I'm watching as a new mayor what folks are doing, you know, in Baltimore, in D.C., in other cities, even in Chicago. Brandon Johnson has a very tough job.

I'm right next door to him. So whatever happens in Chicago is when you eventually trickle over into Gary. So I want him to be successful, no matter who to marry is, but he's the mayor right now, so I got to support him. But I'm like a sponge, right?

I don't know everything. As a leader, you can't assume you know everything. So I'm looking to folks that have great ideas in innovation around violence prevention and things of that nature. All right. Is Mayor Eddie Melton?

Don't be a stranger, man. No, I appreciate it. Mayor Gary, Indiana, it's the breakfast club. Yes, sir. Hold on. Every day I wake up. Wake your ass up. The breakfast club.

You're all finished or y'all's done? My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious. Wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, luckily, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend's been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't. trust her. Now he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone.

Hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That seems inappropriate. Maybe find out how it ends by listening to the OK Storytime podcast and the IHeart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, my name is Enya Umanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have a podcast. unmedicated ADHD. Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble.

Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. Short on time, but big on true crime. On a recent episode of the podcast hunting for answers, I highlighted the story of 19-year-old Lechay Dungey. But she never knocked on that door.

She never made it inside. And that text message would be the last time anyone would ever hear from her. Listen to Hunting for Answers from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, host of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast. I know how overwhelming it can feel if flying makes you anxious. In session 418 of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast, Dr. Angela Nielbornet and I, us flight anxiety. What is not normal is to allow it to prevent you from doing the things that you want to do, the things that you were meant to do. Listen to therapy for black

girls on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast.