NORTH MANCHESTER - The North Manchester Center for History invites visitors to explore the stories of Black Hoosiers who broke ground for their community and paved a path for future generations while making contributions to Indiana with a traveling exhibit from the Indiana Historical Society (IHS).
The exhibit, “Groundbreaking Black Hoosiers,” will be open to the public April 8 through May 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Center for History, 122 E. Main St., North Manchester.
Although the stories in “Groundbreaking Black Hoosiers” are far from an encyclopedic look at Black excellence or accomplishment, they present a compelling example of the important role Black people have played in Hoosier history, a role that has too often been erased, according to a provided news release.
Here is a glimpse at some of the people highlighted in this exhibit:
• Wilma Gibbs Moore, a historian at IHS who worked to save the stories of Black Hoosiers from disappearing.
• Mary Bateman Clark, who sued for her freedom from indentured servitude, the way for some Hoosiers to get around slavery laws.
• Madam C.J. Walker, a successful businesswoman who fought for racial equality and access to beauty in early 20th-century Indianapolis.
• Second Lieutenant Aaron R. Fisher, the most decorated Black World War I veteran in Indiana.
• Doctor Henry Hummons, who started a free clinic for Black Hoosiers at Flanner House to help combat medical disparities during the fight against tuberculosis.
• William Wilson Cooke, an architect who fought racism in banking in Gary to help build needed buildings for the burgeoning Black community there.
“Groundbreaking Black Hoosiers” is made possible by a generous grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
For more information or to plan your visit, call 260.982.0672, or visit www.northmanchestercenterforhistory.org