Conversations in Indiana African American History and Culture

Historians, researchers, and educators share their knowledge of Indiana’s Black heritage.

Select Thursdays

6 p.m. EDT
Indiana Landmarks Center, 1201 Central Ave., Indianapolis and Online

In this recurring series presented by Freetown Village, historians, researchers, and educators discuss topics related to Indiana’s Black heritage, followed by question-and-answer sessions. Sponsored by Indiana Landmarks’ Black Heritage Preservation Program, Indiana Humanities, IUI Africana Studies, and Association of the Study of African American Life and History Joseph Taylor Branch.

View all upcoming Freetown Village events at freetownvillage.org/new-events.

May 21, 2026

6 p.m. EDT (Doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
Indiana Landmarks Center, 1201 Central Ave., Indianapolis and Online

Memorial Day: A History Worth Remembering

Leon Bates, veteran and urban historian, shares the often-overlooked history and origins of Memorial Day, set aside to honor those who died in military service. The holiday began as Decoration Day, a tradition started by African Americans who decorated the graves of fallen Union soldiers—long before the nation formally recognized the practice.

Indianapolis also holds a lesser‑known chapter of Civil War history. More than 5,000 Confederate soldiers were imprisoned at Camp Morton, with about 1,600 dying and being buried at Greenlawn Cemetery. Records from the National Archives reveal that 29 of those who died were of African descent, a detail rarely acknowledged.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at Indiana Landmarks Center and talk begins at 6 p.m. in person and online. Free with RSVP. Learn more and register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/conversations-in-indiana-african-american-history-culture-5212026-registration-1982363463483

Questions? Contact Marriam Umar, Freetown Village Program Director, at marriam@freetownvillage.org or 317-631-1870.

June 11, 2026

6 p.m. EDT (Doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
Indiana Landmarks Center, 1201 Central Ave., Indianapolis and Online

‘We All Just Did Life Together’: The Forgotten Story of the Black Southside

A conversation with Susan B. Hyatt, Professor Emerita of Anthropology at IU–Indianapolis, and Beverle Miller Kane, long‑time Southside resident and Babe Denny Navigator with the Southside US Colored Troop Coalition.

Between the early 1900s and the 1960s, Indianapolis’s near Southside was home to a rich mix of communities, including African Americans and Jewish immigrants. During a period in the city’s history more often defined by Jim Crow segregation than by integration, near‑Southside residents—Black and white—“all just did life together,” as Beverle Kane recalls.

The neighborhood was dramatically reshaped in the 1970s by the construction of I‑70, and again in the early 2000s with the building of Lucas Oil Stadium. Join us as we explore the stories of these residents, their once‑vibrant neighborhood, and the project that reunited them after 50 years to share their memories.

Questions? Contact Marriam Umar, Freetown Village Program Director, at marriam@freetownvillage.org or 317-631-1870.