INDIANA — As February progresses, the Indiana Historical Society (IHS) commemorates Black History Month with insightful workshops and programs.
On Feb. 25, the IHS will host “That Sounds Like Black Excellence,” a homeschool workshop suggested for grades five through 12. In this workshop, participants will learn about the role of music in early 20th-century African American history, discover Indiana’s connection to the Harlem Renaissance, and explore how music and emotions are connected through art.
Additionally, on Feb. 27, IHS will host a panel on how the virtuosity of Black artists in Indiana has impacted the Black experience nationwide. This panel discussion will highlight Poets Mari Evans and Etheridge Knight, jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, and the monumental educational impact of the McArthur Conservatory (1946-1963). The arts convey messages of hope, pride, and resistance. In a state that practiced de facto segregation, the featured figures and organizations embodied an unrivaled legacy.
“The Impact of Indiana’s Black Artists Panel” will feature:
- Susan L. Hall-Dotson – African American Collections Curator, Indiana Historical Society
- Dr. Les Etienne – Assistant Professor in Africana Studies and current president and member of the Joseph Taylor Branch of ASALH
- Nichelle M. Hayes MPA, MLS – recently appointed as Interim Executive Director of Hurston Wright Foundation, which supports Black Writers, and CEO of Hayes Consulting.
- Kisha Tandy – Curator of Social History, Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites.
The panel presentation is presented by the Charlitta and Robin Winston Family Fund for African American History, with support from the Joseph Taylor Branch of ASALH.
As a part of regular admission, IHS guests can access an interactive kiosk in Lilly Hall that offers a compilation of details about African American historical sites in Indiana. Designed initially as a website, the information is now accessible to those who visit the Indiana Historical Society. The kiosk contributes to The Charlitta and Robin Winston Family Fund for African American History.
The kiosk complements a wealth of material in IHS’s significant archival holdings documenting the state’s African American communities, organizations, religious institutions, individuals, families, and more. These collections can be explored in person inside the IHS’s William Henry Smith Memorial Library, and both the library catalog and thousands of images can be found and accessed by visiting www.indianahistory.org.
For more information about IHS’s offerings, call (317) 232-1882 or visit www.indianahistory.org.
