In March 1972, a gymnasium in Gary, Indiana, swelled floor-to-rafters with an energized crowd 10,000 strong. Here were the vast ideological views of Black America, convened with an ambitious goal: to forge a common agenda targeting the societal ills afflicting its communities. The National Black Political Convention was the largest Black political meeting in U.S. history. Despite their differences, participants were united in frustration with the parties whose national conventions loomed on the horizon, wrestling with one major question: Should we build within the system or from without? “There was a collective feeling that ‘We need to come together, because we’re all over the place.’ Organizers wanted to get all these Black voices around the table,” said Leonard Moore, a history professor at the University of Texas-Austin and author of a book about the event. Resolutions were proposed and debated. Some advocated formation of a Black third party, none more visibly than the Rev. Jesse Jackson of Operation PUSH, who stirred up the crowd with a forceful call-and-response speech declaring it was time: “Nationtime.” Read the full story by clicking the link in our bio! 📸: Jim Wells, @APNews