The National Black Political Convention, or the Gary Convention, was held on March 10–12, 1972 in Gary, Indiana. The convention gathered around ten thousand African-Americans to discuss and advocate for black communities that undergo significant economic and social crisis. Part of their goal was to raise the number of black politicians elected to office, increase representation, and create an agenda for fundamental change. The convention also issued the Gary Declaration, which stated that the American political system was failing black Americans and that the only way to address this problem was to transition to independent black politics. Notable participants in the convention included Gary mayor Richard Hatcher, civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, and House Representative Charles C. Diggs Jr. Diggs Jr., alongside Richard Hatcher, were the two keynote speakers at the National Black Political Convention.
