Our City Our Voice All INdiana Podcast Network

As we celebrate Juneteenth, many Americans are delving into its historical significance. Originating in Galveston, Texas, Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union soldiers brought news of freedom to more than 250,000 enslaved African Americans, nearly two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

The National Civil Rights Museum, which is located where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, stands as a symbol of the struggle for civil rights in America. From its historical roots in slavery to more recent movements for equality, the museum offers a comprehensive journey through the American Civil Rights movement.

Ryan Jones, Juneteenth program manager at the National Civil Rights Museum, emphasized the holiday’s significance in an interview with News 8.

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Arts with a Purpose at Eskenazi Health commemorated Black Music Month by using the arts to create positive change, social awareness, and inclusivity in the Circle City.

Music enthusiasts and professionals with Arts with A Purpose paid homage to rich African traditions that influenced jazz, hip-hop, R&B, and rock and roll. President Jimmy Carter established Black Music Month in 1979; the observance is reaffirmed annually by presidential proclamation.

African Americans have contributed a lot to the culture landscape of America and helped shaped the country, and influenced an entire world,” Bishop said.Each week this June, Black artists are featured performers at Eskenazi Health through the Marianne Tobias Music Program. It’s an effort to facilitate distraction from pain and reduce anxiety in patients.

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Indy Gay Market hosted its annual “Big Gay Pride” festival on Saturday and Sunday on Monument Circle. “We are vendor-focused so we try to make sure that the vendors feel cared for and celebrated in our event, so we are connecting them to each other, as well as to the community,” Lead Coordinator at Indy Gay Market Hannah Hadley said. 

Over the weekend, the artisan festival featured 100 Queer vendors, with 50 showcasing their products each day.

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The United Nations’ General Assembly has recognized the pivotal role of parents around the world by establishing the Global Day of Parents in 2012. The day, celebrated annually on June 1, honors the dedication and responsibility of parenthood.

Whether it’s traditional parenthood or fostering, the aim is to pay tribute to all parents for their contributions.

WISH-TV contributor Gloria Jimenez joined News 8 to bring insight into the establishment of this significant day during a discussion.

The growing significance of family roles since the 1980s has also grown with the rise of foster parenting in the international community.

Jimenez, a parent herself, emphasized that becoming a parent is a profound life change. When asked how individuals can determine if they are up for the task, she gave insights into the evaluation process.

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Join WISH-TV in celebrating Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage month this May! Hear the Celebrating AAIP Heritage special brought to you by the Marion County Public Health Department.

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A tanker wing’s new commanding officer on Monday said he hopes to pave the way for other Asian Americans seeking a career in the armed forces.Col. Van Thai was born in Saigon a year after the fall of South Vietnam in 1975. When he was five years old, his family fled Vietnam’s communist regime, first moving to Toronto before settling in Oklahoma City.

Thai is now in his 26th year in the Air Force. He told News 8 he has spent most of it deployed overseas, including at air bases in Japan and Qatar. In February, Thai became the new commanding officer of the 434th Air Refueling Wing. Based at Grissom Air Reserve Base near Kokomo, the Air Force says the 434th is the largest KC-135 wing in the Air Force Reserve.

Thai’s appointment was historic in two respects. First, he said he is the first active-duty officer to command the unit since Grissom transitioned from an active-duty base to a reserve base in 1994. Second, he is the first Vietnamese American to hold the job. According to the Department of Defense’s most recent demographics report, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders account for roughly six percent of all military personnel.

Thai said he hasn’t personally faced any challenges due to his ethnicity but recognizes not everyone can say the same thing. He said the Air Force needs more Asian Americans to join and bring their perspectives to the service.

Thai said one of the military’s biggest sources of strength is how it brings together Americans from a variety of ethnicities and upbringings to work toward a common goal. He said for him, the bottom line is the “American” portion of the phrases “Asian American” or “Vietnamese American.”

Thai said his parents still live in Oklahoma City. He said he and his wife plan to put down roots in Indiana, likely in or around Carmel. He said the youngest of his three children, who is still in high school, is looking for a school with a good soccer program.

“We are totally living the American Dream,” he said. “Just the opportunities for an immigrant kid from Southeast Asia to come to America where the family’s working hard and a little luck, we’ve been able to kind of spread our wings and take flight in this Air Force adventure.”

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