Female CEOs, thought leaders, students, and government officials on Tuesday took part in the third annual International Women’s Day at the Indiana Government Center.

The free event, co-sponsored by Asian American Alliance and Indiana Commission for Women, was touted as a safe space for women and girls to network and propel their careers forward.

Event chair and organizer Rupal Thanawala wanted to assure women could access the resources. “The conversations are really going to inspire and empower women by giving them access to information.”

Women spoke about interrupting business as usual by being persistent in the face of failure and reaching out to diverse mentorship. There was huge conversation on sponsorships, by having allies who can advocate for you when you’re not in the room.

Thirty businesses and organizations puts their products and services on exhibit at the event.

Barriers prevent women from achieving equality. Women make up 50% of the U.S. population, but according to speakers at Tuesday’s conference, they only make up 30% of CEOs and business leaders. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, for every dollar a man makes, a woman only makes 83 cents.

The event was an opportunity to speak to the inequalities women face daily and hear from other women who overcame them.

International Women’s Day will be Saturday, but the leaders encouraged women and girls to celebrate and empower each other all month long.

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he Naptown African American Theater Collective is bringing the Pulitzer Prize-nominated play “Stew” by Zora Howard to the Phoenix Theater Cultural Center this March.

The production tells the story of four generations of Black women navigating grief, loss, and love through food and laughter. Directed by NAATC founder and CEO Lakeisha Lorraine, “Stew” marks its Indianapolis premiere with a talented cast, including Tracy Nakigozi, who plays the role of “Lil’ Mama.”

Nakigozi, who portrays a 12-year-old in the play, says audiences will see how food serves as both a storytelling device and a way to bring people together.

Stew runs from March 13 to March 30 at the Phoenix Theater Cultural Center, located at 705 N. Illinois St. Tickets for opening night are available starting at $30.

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The next installment of the Crown Hill Speaker Series is set for Thursday evening, focusing on one of the darkest chapters in American history: The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

The free event, hosted at Indiana Landmarks, will feature a discussion on the massacre’s lasting impact and ongoing efforts to identify and properly honor its victims.

In recent years, the city of Tulsa has been working with a community advisory group to locate, identify, and properly memorialize the remains of those who lost their lives. The panel discussion at Crown Hill will explore these efforts and their broader significance.

With the event coinciding with the final day of Black History Month, organizers hope it serves as a reminder that it’s never too late to acknowledge the past and push for change.

The event takes place Thursday at 6 p.m. at Indiana Landmarks on Central Avenue. It is free to the public, but advance registration is required. To register, click here.

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Richard Gadson wasted no time making an impact in his first National Hot Rod Association Pro Stock Motorcycle season.

He finished third in points in 2024, proving he’s a force to be reckoned with.

It’s been a season to remember for the motorcycle drag racer. Stepping into the NHRA spotlight was a new challenge, but one he was ready for.

“I did not win rookie of the year. Tony Stewart won, but it was a really tight race. They said it was the closest race in the history of the awards, so it was a trying year, I learned a lot, and I hadn’t been new to anything in a lot of years,” Gadson said.

Gadson is no stranger to racing. He’s a third-generation racer, from Philadelphia, who has won five national championships in various racing series in his career.

When he’s not on the race track going 200 mph in 6 seconds, he works at Vance & Hines Motorsports in Brownsburg as a technician. It’s the same Vance & Hines RevZilla Suzuki team that sponsors him.

During the off-season, Gadson makes sure he stays healthy mentally and physically.

His words of advice to aspiring pro motorcycle racers? “You really have to chase your dreams and push until you have to believe they’re possible.”

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The Indianapolis community is celebrating Black history with three trailblazing federal judges.

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana featured a conversation with all three.

Inside the Birch Bayh Federal Building and courthouse, history, progress, and perseverance took center stage as the community gathered for a conversation with the Honorable Ann Claire Williams, Honorable Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, and Honorable Doris Pryor, all Black women who have made history in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Williams was the first woman of color to serve on a district court in the three-state Seventh Circuit after a nomination from President Bill Clinton. She was also the first judge of color to sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and third Black woman to serve on any federal circuit court.

She says it’s an honor to be a part of living history with two other Black women.

Williams, who’s now retired from the bench and works at law firm Jones Day, says it’s important in any career to think about the people who will come behind you.

The judges discussed their journeys to the bench and the importance of representation, mentorship, and the impact of diversity on the justice system.

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An Indianapolis dance instructor is using movement to bridge cultures and educate the community.

She’s doing this through her unique fusion of modern dance with African and African American traditions.

At Iris Rosa Dance Studio, movement is a language that speaks across generations and cultures.

A choreographer, Rosa Santiago is a longtime educator at Indiana University Bloomington’s department of African American and African diaspora studies. She blends modern dance with influences from the African diaspora, including Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latin styles. She opened her dance studio in 2022 to expose the community to the diversity of dance and music.

Seda Negra/Black Silk Dance Company is one of Rosa’s dance groups within the dance studio. The dancers tell political, social and cultural narratives. Dancer Amelia Smith says she likes Rosa Santiago’s style, and how she includes her students in the creative process.

Rosa Santiago says its important for dancers to branch out and learn more than one dance genre. She says travelling and learning about culture through dance is life-changing. “It makes you appreciate dance more, but it really opens up your mind, it gives you more of a world-view and a perspective that if you were only in one genre, then you’d only know that.”

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A historic downtown hotel that was once a safe haven for Black travelers is blending its past and present after a multimillion-dollar renovation.

The Omni Severin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis was listed as a safe space to stay in Victor Hugo Green’s The Negro Motorist Green Book, a guidebook for Black travelers during the Jim Crow era.

Over 200 business across the country, such as restaurants, gas stations, and hotels, were listed in the book.

Now, after a $24 million renovation, the Omni Severin Hotel offers new rooms, a lobby, and a newly opened café and bar inspired by trains across the street at Union Station. It kept a lot of its original architecture and art deco roots.

The hotel was originally built in 1913.

As one of the last remaining Green Book locations, Quackenbush says he wants guests to not only enjoy their stay, but also understand the importance and history of the space.

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We are celebrating Black history at WISH-TV, and in this instance, it’s the life and legacy of Dr. Edna Martin. She is the focus of a talk taking place in Indy Thursday night. Anthony Conley is a historian and is giving that talk at the Indiana Landmarks Center.

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