On today’s edition of Bring It On!, hosts Clarence Boone and Liz Mitchell spend the hour with Eunice Trotter, the Director of Indiana Landmark’s Black Heritage Preservation Program, and Leon Bates, a historian and member of the Indiana Remembrance Coalition. According to the Indiana Historical Bureau, the earliest report of African Americans living in what would become Indiana is from a 1746 report on French settlements, stating that five black slaves accompanied a settlement of forty white men in Vincennes on the Wabash River.

When Indiana became a state, antislavery sentiments dominated, and the 1816 Constitution outlawed slavery and involuntary servitude. Combined with subsequent Indiana Supreme Court rulings in favor of blacks over several decades, slavery was slowly eliminated. Eliminating slavery did not, however, guarantee equal civil rights to African-Americans in Indiana. They did not have the right to vote, serve in the military, or testify in court cases involving white claimants. Black children did not have the right to attend public schools. In addition, after 1831, black settlers in Indiana were required to register with county authorities and to post a $500 bond as a guarantee of good behavior. This is a measure to dissuade African-American settlement. Nonetheless, Indiana became an important part of the Underground Railroad.

Preserving this history is part of the mission for Eunice Trotter when she became the Director of Indiana Landmarks’ new Black Heritage Preservation Program on September 1, 2022. She is a longtime journalist, historian, and community organizer. Trotter brings more than 30 years of experience focused on communications, research, advocacy, and mentorship. In her position, she coordinates a broad initiative to identify, save, and celebrate places significant to Indiana’s Black history.

Leon Bates, a historian and member of the Indiana Remembrance Coalition, has helped to research the lives of unknown Black Hoosiers. He started this quest over a decade ago, after becoming upset with a former deputy mayor who he said claimed Madam C.J. Walker was the only Black person worthy of a statue or monument. Historical markers are one way Hoosiers can get a bite-sized portion of Indiana history. There are over 750 across 92 state counties, including more than 100 in Marion County. But, due to state and federal budget cuts, including 16 layoffs at the Indiana State Library, some local historians say residents could see fewer of these markers around the city and state. And, according to Leon Bates, that means “important stories will go untold”.

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