Dana Black: Indiana recently lost two of its greats

I hope our young Democrats are paying attention. Not just watching from a distance but up close.

Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry departed us on March 28. He served on the City Council representing the Third District from 1984 to 2004 before embarking on a historic run as mayor. Winning the 2023 election for a historic fifth consecutive term as mayor, he leaves a long legacy of progress for northeast Indiana.

His amazing wife, Cindy, who preceded him in death on January 20, was the epitome of a first lady, and together, they embraced new Democrats who were ready to do the work as community servants. I was always greeted warmly with wide arms and even bigger smiles.

Mayor Tom worked hard to move Indiana’s second-largest city forward. As the city of Fort Wayne website states: “Mayor Henry has a strong record of success in neighborhood infrastructure improvements, downtown development, job creation, business expansions, advances in public safety, and enhancements to the city’s world-class park systems.”

Such long service to the community in this political climate is not as easy as it seems. Especially for Black women. State Sen. Jean Breaux was that Black woman, serving her district for 18 years. Sen. Breaux said goodbye to us on March 20. She left behind another amazing historical Black woman and District 34 predecessor, her mother, former Sen. Billie Breaux. Around town, when you saw one, you saw the other, and a good time was sure to be had by all.

Elected to the state Senate in 2006, Jean Breaux dedicated her time in office to working to improve the lives of the residents of District 34, of which I am a constituent. Her main focus was on inequities in health care. As a young woman, her mother would instill in her to “question authority.” With that mentality in hand, Sen. Jean Breaux would have a hard time understanding the extreme injustices for Hoosiers when it came to accessing quality health care. As the state Senate Democrats’ website states: “She became a champion for maternal mortality, addressing poverty, ending gun violence, and more.”

But what I admired about Sen. Breaux most was how willing she was to give her time to those looking to learn, understand, and grow. More importantly, she never got to a point in her life where she didn’t feel the need to ask questions.

When I moved into her district in 2018, she gave me a call. She was a little distressed because politicians talk too much, and someone had told her that I moved into her district to run against her in the primary. Then she asked, “What am I doing wrong?” For her to ask that question versus taking a defensive stance about a potential primary opponent spoke volumes about her desire to represent her community well. I eased her mind by letting her know I only moved into her district because I had divorced. Then the conversation turned to her comforting me in my time of loss. I will never forget that level of kindness from someone who wasn’t sure what my intentions were.

I truly loved being around Sen. Breaux with the limited time I had. If you didn’t make it to at least one Mardi Gras fundraiser, then you missed out.

Indiana, we recently lost two great leaders whose work will live well beyond them. As we memorialize Mayor Henry and Sen. Breaux, look around at all the elders in the room and ask questions.•

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Black is former deputy chairwoman for engagement for the Indiana Democratic Party
and a former candidate for the Indiana House. Send comments to ibjedit@ibj.com.

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