Hammond school teacher honored by Indiana Senate

INDIANAPOLIS | State lawmakers on Tuesday honored the first African-American school teacher in Hammond.

State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, introduced the resolution for Annie Burns Hicks.

"Annie Burns Hicks has been a trailblazer for African-American women in our education system for nearly 50 years," Randolph said in a statement.

"She deserves recognition not only for being the first African-American teacher in the city of Hammond, but also for her contributions to the school system and for overcoming issues of discrimination to become a model teacher for others in the state of Indiana."

Hicks co-authored Hammond's first full-day kindergarten program and worked in the first Head Start staff program.

Hicks was denied a position with the school district in 1958 because of her race. She filed a lawsuit and was eventually hired.