“I didn’t want to be in a traditional barber shop environment and truly wanted to be mobile. A lot of people say that they are mobile, but they are not”, said Elgien Richardson, 47, Local Entrepreneur and Visionary of Kingdom Crowns.

The Dyer Family Foundation has generously supported leaders and non-profits over the years, which has made a great impact in the areas that Tammy and Jack Dyer felt passionate about. The Dyer Family Foundation was founded by Tammy and Jack Dyer in 2001. Jack and Tammy have raised their family in the city of Fort Wayne since 1973 and they have taken on various volunteer roles throughout the years

HUNTINGTON, Ind. – The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released its annual regional athletes and coaches of the year awards for indoor track and field and among the list of honorees includes Huntington senior Erica Xayarath.

“Romeo Morris, Local Financial Advisor for Edward Jones and a community leader is definitely on the Summit’s Horizon. Morris has been making his presence known throughout the city now that he has returned to his hometown. As a young adult he has found his niche in servant leadership. However, he is no stranger to being involved in a variety of activities and organizations.

“Dr. King spoke on the back of my Grandfather’s pickup truck in Newbern, Alabama.” said, George Hicks, the newly elected President of the MLK Club, Inc. of Fort Wayne.

Hicks stands on the shoulders of his Grandfather, the late Tom Brown Hicks and others as he serves the community with passion and innovation.

“The mass choir is a place where all voices are blended together to make one sound. There are no superstars, it cuts down on competition because everyone is together for a common cause. The members are humble, teachable and interested in learning.

Amid the dynamic world of higher education leadership, Dr. Kim Barnett-Johnson stands out not just for her distinguished role as chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College Fort Wayne and Warsaw, but also for her signature smile—a symbol of approachability and growth.

“I only came to Fort Wayne for a few weeks. I came to support my best friend and fellow Waycross, Georgia native, Josh Raines who can now be heard on STAR 88.3 FM.” During that time, I began to pray for a faith community. God led me to First Assembly of God. My Mom later asked the question: Do you think God is leading you to move to Fort Wayne?”

Christiana Danielle is spending time here in Fort Wayne with her family as she prepares to move to California in January. She is looking to continue her career as a professional singer while also working in her field of Social Work in which she received her Masters.

Boy you got something there”, the words of my Mama a couple of months before she passed. I didn’t even have any verses to the song. It was just a song I was singing and even posted a snippet on my Facebook page. This was the beginning of “I’ll Press On” which is the title track of Darius Darling’s latest release.

It was a cold, gloomy and rainy day in Fort Wayne in January 2016. That day, I was scheduled for my annual mammogram screen with Francine’s Friends Mammography Mobile Unit. This mobile unit was about 100 yards outside my employer’s door.

Welcome back to UNSCRIPTED! This week I decided to take a short break from sports and get back to sharing a piece that I have been anticipating for a long time. Tameka Beckum Foster is one of our local business owners here in Fort Wayne and is establishing her business as one that will be firmly planted in our community for a very long time.

I was recently able to chat with Christiane Rogers, owner and founder of the Sensory Fun and Playroom here in Fort Wayne and currently located inside of Abundant Life Church. It is a large sensory room housed within 1500 square feet inside the church.

On the Sunday morning of September 15, 1963, Sarah Collins and her sister, Addie Mae Collins, were in the Ladies Lounge in the basement of the 16th Street Baptist Church. The sisters, along with three other girls, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, and Denise McNair were preparing for the Youth Service program and then an explosion happened.

Lifeline Academy was founded on October 20, 2022 and the organization provides high quality training for individuals seeking to be a CNA or QMA. Last week a few new individuals graduated from the program. Last week a few new individuals graduated from the program. They are: Bryson Smith-Wilson. He was enrolled in the 6 week CNA program.

Fox Lake is a national historic district located in Steuben County, Indiana. Established in 1927 with a rich history of black families for 3-4 generations, it developed between 1928 and 1950 as a vacation resort for middle class African-Americans. The cottages are primarily one-story, frame dwellings with gable roofs and concrete block foundations. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

Cydney Bridges and her family moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana when she was just 2 years old. At the age of 6, her father decided to leave but that didn’t stop her mother from making sure her babies reached their full potential.

I was recently able to connect with the team from 1st Source Bank which included Terrece Fairgood, Banking Center Manager and  Community Development Officer, Mark Gould, Community Development Manager and Joseph O’dell, Business Banker, to discuss the bank’s Minority Business Builder Loan.

As a follow up to last week's story, I was able to connect with Boris Thomas for a part 2 interview style. Manuel: How long have you been doing videography? Thomas: I have been doing it for approximately 3 years...

Tandalla Jackson has recently passed her test to become one of the first African American female appraisers in the city of Fort Wayne. She and her husband are owners of several businesses under what I called the “Jackson Enterprise”.

On Tuesday April 19, we hosted our 3rd annual essay contest with 18 essays submitted, which was the most we have received since starting the contest. Having a variety of essays on the topic, “Should cellphones be allowed in school?” was pretty exciting for the Ink Spot team and Coach Keith Edmonds who leads the effort of recruiting young writers.

I was recently able to chat with Coach Al Gooden following the announcement of his retirement from coaching basketball as well as teaching at the end of this year after 35 years. I met Coach Al years ago when I moved here and started coaching with the Fort Wayne Express Track Club with Bruce and Tiffany Stephens, right before Harding was closing.

On March 12, 2018 the Fort Wayne Ink Spot newspaper was born. As the paper celebrates its 5th anniversary we had a conversation with owner John Dortch to get some insight on why he started the paper, some of his favorites and what he sees for the future of the paper.

I was recently able to catch up with Amber, owner of A&J Optical, the only Black female optical boutique in Fort Wayne, about what she’s been up to and how phase 2 of her business plan is progressing. When we last spoke, she told me about her 3 phase business plan as she continues her Optical business in Fort Wayne. A&J is now offering eye exams along with her own line of frames.