LEROY KEYES ‘PUT HIMSELF AT RISK FOR WHAT HE BELIEVED IN’

An Indiana Journalism hall-of-famer and a former Purdue defensive end remember Purdue legend Marvin Leroy Keyes as a football sensation, as do legions of Purdue fans. But both people also recognize Keyes as a vocal activist and someone who wasn’t apt to give staid speeches. Enthusiasm radiated from the man. “Leroy was a special person for Purdue,” said John Norberg, who wrote for the Lafayette Journal & Courier and is a Purdue historian.

Keyes, a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist, All-American and Purdue Athlete of the Century, was a force to be reckoned with on and off the field. Keyes, a native of a heavily segregated area in Newport News, Virginia, did not attend a school with nonBlack students until he went to Purdue in 1966, Norberg said. He chose Purdue in part because most segregated universities across the South would not allow Black students to play football, according to Purdue archives. He came to Purdue during one of the most conflict-ridden decades in American history, the 1960s. Protests broke out in campuses across the country, mainly pertaining to a suppression of Black Americans’ civil rights and the Vietnam War.

A hotbed of student protest and sit-ins, Purdue’s campus was one of many to be rocked with controversy as hundreds of student protesters were arrested during the 1968-69 academic year. The man’s life as an activist and a voice for change, however, define a major portion of his legacy. In the spring of 1968, during Keyes’ junior year at Purdue, about 150 students staged one of the biggest and most significant protests to happen on Purdue’s campus at the steps of the Administration Building, now known as Hovde Hall of Administration. The peaceful demonstrators took red bricks from the then-construction site of the Pharmacy Building and marched to the Administration Building. They laid the bricks down and planted a sign that read, “The Fire Next Time,” a reference to the classic book by civil rights icon James Baldwin in which he elucidates Black Americans’ struggle for equality and the structures of white supremacy. Keyes was joined by Eric McCaskill, a track star who also hailed from Keyes’ Virginia hometown, and Roger Blalock, a forward for the Purdue basketball team at the time. All of the men are featured in the documentary “Black at Purdue,” which documents efforts to overcome the inequality of 20th-century Purdue.

The stand that Keyes, McCaskill, Blalock and hundreds of other students took that day urged then-Purdue president Frederick Hovde to recognize that Purdue was not doing all it could to support Black students. The march played a role in the formation of the Black Cultural Center in the early 1970s. “Leroy was a trailblazer, a true renaissance man.” BCC Director Renee Thomas said. “Leroy was celebrated for his athleticism and he chose not to be silenced during times of racial turmoil.” Through fiery speeches and a contagious positive attitude that he consistently maintained, Keyes left a legacy that would affect the University for generations to come.

Hollies Winston made history by becoming the first Black mayor of Brooklyn Park. Winston, the DFL-endorsed candidate, received 59 percent of the vote with 96 percent of precincts reporting. His opponent, Wynfred Russell, received 40 percent of the vote.

In his victory speech, Winston said that his win is historic because he’s the city’s first African American mayor. “It’s also history, though, because I ran on a platform of going in a very different direction,” Winston said. His platform started with addressing livability and crime issues at the Huntington Place apartment complex and deciding “we shouldn’t be tolerating that in the city of Brooklyn Park.” He said addressing those issues led to a broader platform to support “the folks who are just struggling to come up,” along with concerns related to crime and disparities in education and wealth. It’s historic, he said, because “We came saying we want to help those that are struggling.”

Prior to election, Winston told Sahan Journal: “God works on his own time. To overcome some of the issues that we’ve dealt with to get where we are now, we had to do the hard work of learning how things work, building the coalition, collaborating with people, building personal relationships across the city.” Winston won the primary election in August by a wide margin. Public safety has been a key issue throughout the race. Winston detailed a threefold approach. He plans to fully fund the police, invest in services that support the police such as community-based violence prevention organizations, and increase funding for youth programming, especially south of 85th Avenue North, an area with older housing and more poverty. Winston describes his approach to public safety as “upstream”—one focused on preventative measures. He supports groups like The Village BP, which has advocated on behalf of the 2,500-plus residents at the Huntington Place apartments, and the African American Women Awareness Group, a community-based organization that supports women experiencing domestic violence.

Bro. Marshall Bullock II, of Detroit, was a state senator representing District 4 in Detroit, Allen Park City Lincoln Park City, and Southgate City. Bullock is a graduate of Detroit Public Schools. He is an active member of Tau Kappa Kappa Chapter in Southfield, MI. Mr. Bullock has been appointed for a term that begun January 1, 2023, and will expire on January 1, 2029. He has succeeded Jason Strayhorn who resigned this past year.

The State Board of Education has leadership and general supervision over all public education, including adult education and instructional programs in state institutions, except as to institutions of higher education granting baccalaureate degrees, is vested in a state board of education. It serves as the general planning and coordinating body for all public education, including higher education, and shall advise the legislature as to the financial requirements in connection therewith.

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