The first documented Black residents came to the Land of the Three Rivers with the American forts as slaves, servants, soldiers and laborers. During the 19th century, both free Black settlers and fugitive slaves sought refuge in Indiana as the first established families began to form an enduring community in Fort Wayne from the 1830s through the 1850s. As Fort Wayne’s Black community grew throughout the latter half of the 20th century, its leaders made inroads into local government and politics, and obtained better employment opportunities. This was seen with the hiring of first Black firefighter, Richard Ridley, in 1961. Ridley was not only the first Black firefighter, but he was also the first Black student to attend Bethlehem Lutheran School and Concordia Lutheran High School, their family was one of the first black families to join the Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne. Ridley served as a Fort Wayne Firefighter until his retirement in 1985. Richard Ridley passed away in October of 2023. In 1979, Genois Wilson made history by becoming the first woman to became a firefighter in Fort Wayne. She served as an inspector and fire educator, later promoted to fire education director, until she moved on to other challenges in 1995. #sociallyhistory
The long journey to freedom Go back in time to follow the lives of over 100,000 enslaved people in 19th-century North America. Search thousands of free newspaper articles published before and after the Emancipation Proclamation and get a rare glimpse into the stories of a community on the brink of freedom. At the Ancestry.com blog.
📚✨ Visit the Genealogy Center and explore your roots during #BlackHistoryMonth! 🌍🔍 A key resource in researching African...
As a complement to the library catalog and the Periodical Source Index, the African American Gateway provides another discovery tool for those researching their African American family history and family stories. It categorizes Genealogy Center resources for African American research by states, regions, and countries as well as by general subjects. It combines these resources with thousands of links for an enhanced research experience.
Not sure how or where to start? Stop by the Genealogy Center at the Main Library downtown for a chat with a Genealogy Librarian! Or start here with our how-to videos: https://www.genealogy.acpl.lib.in.us/start-your-search
Celebrate Black History Month with Some Amazing Resources
by Curt B. Witcher
Genealogy Gems: News from the Allen County Public Library at Fort Wayne, No. 239, January 31, 2024
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As many may know Black History Month was established in 1976 out of a previous commemoration of “Negro History Week,” a week-long celebration of Black history created by distinguished historian, writer, and publisher Carter G. Woodson in 1926. Today, the month-long celebration honors the rich history of African Americans in the United States and beyond. Black History Month is an excellent time to be inspired to start the quest into one’s African American family history as well as the family histories of those whose ancestors who lived with, interacted with, and profited off the labors of African Americans. The Genealogy Center has an abundance of riches for this research.
When engaging in African American genealogical research, it is important to know that significant information can be found by browsing the shelves or querying the online catalog for the geographic places (cities, counties and parishes) and surnames of one’s search interests. Not everything will be separated into our rather massive African American section nor will everything be discoverable by searching for African Americans as a topic in a geographic area. If you are able to visit the Genealogy Center in person, browsing the shelves of our substantial general African American section may give one numerous research ideas and leads to explore. Our general African American print materials, numbering in the thousands of items, can be found under the call number 973.068.
There are two other excellent places to continue, or even begin, one’s search for records and resources that evidence African American family stories and documents. The first is the “African American Gateway,” a very large listing of African American resources in the Genealogy Center. www.genealogycenter.info/africanamerican These resources are organized in several general categories including U.S. States, U.S. Regions, Foreign Countries, and Subjects. One can easily find descriptions and call numbers for nearly countless numbers of items. With some much good local and family history data published in journals, newsletters, quarterlies and other periodicals, the “Periodical Source Index (PERSI)” is the second excellent resource to begin or continue one’s research. There are more than 3.1 million article titles categorized in seven broad categories. Of the seven categories, the four location search options along with the surname search options typically net the most meaningful search results. Both of these resources are available for free from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection as is our online catalog.
The Genealogy Center also has a very consequential number of African American historical newspapers searchable by researchers onsite. While some African American newspapers appear in more than one database, the databases themselves search differently and the date coverage may be different as well. A list of these online newspaper databases can be found in the following.
**Accessible Archives African American Newspapers
This is a rather unique collection of 19th century African-American newspapers, including The Christian Recorder (1861-1891, 1893-1902), The Colored American/Weekly Advocate (1837-1841), Douglass' Monthly (1859-1863), Frederick Douglass' Paper (1851-1855), The Freedmen's Record (1865-1874), Freedom's Journal (1827-1829), The National Era (1847-1860), The Negro Business League Herald (1909), The North Star (1847-1851), and Provincial Freeman (1854-1857).
**African American Historical Newspapers
The "Genealogy" link leads one to a collection of nine distinct African-American newspapers, featuring the Atlanta Daily World (1931-2003), The Baltimore Afro-American (1893-1988), Chicago Defender (1910-1975), Cleveland Call and Post (1934-1991), Los Angeles Sentinel (1934-2005), New York Amsterdam News (1922-1993), The Norfolk Journal and Guide (1921-2003), The Philadelphia Tribune (1912-2001), and Pittsburgh Courier (1911-2002).
**African American Historical Newspapers
Links lead one to a collection of nine distinct African-American newspapers, featuring the Atlanta Daily World (1931-2003), The Baltimore Afro-American (1893-1988), Chicago Defender (1910-1975), Cleveland Call and Post (1934-1991), Los Angeles Sentinel (1934-2005), New York Amsterdam News (1922-1993), The Norfolk Journal and Guide (1921-2003), The Philadelphia Tribune (1912-2001), and Pittsburgh Courier (1911-2002).
**African American Historical Serials Collection
The "African American Historical Serials Collection" is an archive of periodicals that document the history of African American religious life and culture between 1829 and 1922. It includes newspapers and magazines, plus reports and annuals from African American religious organizations, including churches and social service agencies.
**Ebony Magazine Archive
In 1945, Chicago's John H. Johnson established Ebony magazine, akin to Life magazine but tailored specifically for the African American community. A monthly periodical, Ebony initially highlighted African American entertainers and athletes, later expanding its coverage to encompass achievements across various domains within the African American community. For our patrons, the Genealogy Center provides on-site access to the complete collection of Ebony magazine spanning from 1945 to 2014 through the Ebony Magazine Archive. This access enables patrons to easily search and navigate through the magazine content. Should a patron prefer a more casual browsing experience, that option is also available. This database proves immensely beneficial for those delving into research on African American culture and social history.
**Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive
The Slavery and Anti-Slavery database is a rare historical archive of court records, maps, books, newspapers, and periodicals from the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe specific to the topics of slavery, abolition, and emancipation. This resource is consequential for establishing contexts for more extensive exploration.
While many who use newspapers in their family history research focus almost exclusively on searching for names associated with life events such as birth, marriage, and death, I strongly urge that we use newspapers to discover the context in which our ancestors lived, e.g. what was life like in the area where they lived, who and what was mentioned in the social columns, what drove the local economy and what were the local businesses. The context in which we find our ancestors is perennially undervalued by genealogists. Successfully doing reasonably exhaustive research and finding all of your ancestors’ FANs (friends, associates, and neighbors) necessarily means we spend some time developing robust geographical and chronological contexts in which to place our ancestors.
And speaking of contexts, the Genealogy Center contains many hundreds of masters and PhD dissertations in print form pertaining to African American life. These works are quite beneficial in setting a rich context for our ancestors as well as providing us with new (and often unknown) sources of data through their bibliographies, footnotes, and endnotes.
A final resource worthy of note here is the African American Heritage collection of databases and resources. It includes original records and an online version of “Black Genesis,” a state-by-state methodological resource guide. While no substantial new materials have been added to the site in years, searchable access to “Black Genesis” is definitely worth a look. The online access greatly enhances one’s opportunity to find useful data over simply perusing the print version.
However you celebrate Black History month, I invite you to ensure that it involves a deeper look into your family history and family stories.
On November 1, 1851, Indiana's second constitution went into effect. One hundred and fifty delegates met for 127 days in the House of Representatives chamber in the State House to draft the document. According to historian David Vanderstel, “The constitution that emanated from those four months of deliberations was not a radical revision of the original document nor did it significantly alter the existing form of state government. Rather, the proposed draft addressed numerous concerns and problems that had emerged during the formative years of the state.”
Changes included a prohibition on incurring state debt, a commitment to public schools, an increase in the number of elected officials, and suffrage rights for foreign-born males. This new constitution also codified racism in Article XIII, which prohibited the immigration of African Americans into the state. Article XIII was repealed in 1866 when the Indiana Supreme Court ruled the provision unconstitutional because it was contrary to the newly passed 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The image below, showing the 1851 Constitution, is courtesy of Indiana Archives and Records Administration.
This new constitution also codified racism in Article XIII, which prohibited the immigration of African Americans into the state. Article XIII was repealed in 1866 when the Indiana Supreme Court ruled the provision unconstitutional because it was contrary to the newly passed 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Section 1. No negro or mulatto shall come into or settle in the State, after the adoption of this Constitution.
Section 2. All contracts made with any Negro or Mulatto coming into the State, contrary to the provisions of the foregoing section, shall be void; and any person who shall employ such Negro or Mulatto, or otherwise encourage him to remain in the State, shall be fined in any sum not less than ten dollars, nor more than five hundred dollars.
Section 3. All fines which may be collected for a violation of the provisions of this article, or of any law which ay hereafter be passed for the purpose of carrying the same into execution, shall be set apart and appropriated for the colonization of such Negroes and Mulattoes, and their descendants, as may be in the State at the adoption of this Constitution, and may be willing to emigrate.
Section 4. The General Assembly shall pass laws to carry out the provisions of this article.
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. From Being Black in Indiana at Indiana Historical Bureau.
It's c.1932 from a
December 7, 2024 post on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook. One comment says: This was taken on Wallace Street, between Clinton and Lafayette, in front of the Olds Wagon Works. It was discussed in a Comment as may be Murray Street, looking east from Clinton Street; Olds Wagon Works on the right.
We've Come This Far By Faith February 21, 2023 The Video Factory Fort Wayne on YouTube. In 2003 the African-African American Historical Society of Fort Wayne produced “We’ve Come This Far by Faith”, a video chronicling the history of Black churches in Fort Wayne.
AAGSFW Research Tools & Tips: Putting Flesh on the Bones of Your Family Tree posted Apr 11, 2022 by AAGSFW Fort Wayne on YouTube The African American Genealogical Society of Fort Wayne' presents - Research Tools & Tips: Putting Flesh on the Bones of Your Family Tree Genealogy research is more than names, birth & death dates.. Learn how to uncover who your ancestors really were, how they lived, what issues they overcame, their relationships and more! Join Dr Al Brothers, AAGSFW vice-chair as he gives research tools and tips to help you 'Give a Voice to Your Ancestors'.
The video below was filmed in 2021 while COVID Pandemic restrictions were in force at the Allen County Public Library.
Research Tools n Tips LIVE TOUR of the Genealogy Center posted Nov 20, 2021 by AAGSFW Fort Wayne on YouTube This month's Research Tools & Tips workshop - take a LIVE GUIDED TOUR of the Genealogy Center located in the Allen County Public Library - 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana. The ACPL Genealogy Center is a unique and valuable resource for the Northeastern Indiana community and the entire genealogical community at large. We have one of the largest research collections available, incorporating records from around the world. Our staff specializes in genealogy and is always available to help.
The Genealogy Center at the
Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indianais a proud supporter of the African American Genealogical Society of Fort Wayne AAGSFW.
Have you explored our African American Gateway database?
The African American Gateway is a growing resource for African American research, and includes information from the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean, and well as a few other countries. The links to websites in this gateway are paired with a bibliography of resources for African American research in The Genealogy Center collection.
Genealogy Gems: News from the Fort Wayne Library No. 126, August 31, 2014Appreciating the challenges of African American and First Nations/Native American research, The Genealogy Center offers two gateways for those interested in these areas of research. The African American Gateway is organized by states, regions, countries outside the United States, and subjects. Within each area, one will find a significant collection of relevant websites along with a comprehensive list of Genealogy Center resources for the specific state, region, country, or subject in which one is interested. There are nearly 10,000 Internet sites categorized in this gateway. Using this gateway is a good way to quickly access pertinent materials to advance one’s research.
Racial justice in 1820s Indiana: Slave trial and Fall Creek Massacre - encore (originally November 2, 2019) posted July 4, 2020 on the Archives of Hoosier History Live podcast on Saturdays, noon to 1 p.m. ET on WICR 88.7 FM introduction starts with: With various aspects of racial justice in the headlines, Hoosier History Live will explore precedent-setting legal trials in early Indiana involving African Americans and Native Americans. We are drawing upon our rich archive for a special encore show focusing on two landmark cases of racial justice in early 19th century Indiana. The two trials: one in which an enslaved Indiana woman successfully sued for her freedom, and a second in which white men were found guilty and executed for slaughtering nine Native Americans, an infamous incident that history has dubbed the Fall Creek Massacre. The shows focusing on these milestone legal cases both originally aired in 2010. In 1821, Mary Bateman Clark, a young African-American woman living in Vincennes, made history when her lawyer filed a lawsuit seeking her release from an "indentured servitude" contract with one of the most prominent men in the new state of Indiana. The contract required Clark to cook, clean and sew for Gen. Washington Johnston and his family for 20 years. Her only pay was housing, food and clothing. The case, which made its way to the Indiana Supreme Court, involved determining whether such "indentured servitude" contracts violated the state's Constitution as a form of slavery. Nearly 200 years ago - on Nov. 16, 1821 - the state Supreme Court ruled in Clark's favor and ordered her employer to release her.
A Janaury 17, 2023 post by the Indiana Historical Bureau on Facebook stated: On January 17, 1842, Black citizens met in Indianapolis to discuss the organization of a statewide convention that would promote unity among the Black population regarding the colonization movement. This movement advocated emancipating and returning enslaved people to Africa. Although Indiana state officials, including Indiana Governor James Brown Ray, spoke in favor of the colonization effort, a majority of members of the Black community opposed it. Some considered emigration to Jamaica, Canada, or Oregon, but African colonization received little support. Learn more about the colonization movement in Indiana here:The Colonization Movement.
February 3, 1852 - the Indiana General Assembly requested information about Liberia from James Mitchell, agent of the recently formed Indiana Colonization Society that began providing funds to help Indiana free blacks emigrate to Liberia on the western coast of Africa.
An 1853 Registry of Negroes and Mulattoes for Vigo County is discussed in the video From the Vault | Vigo County Registry by the Indiana Archives and Records Administration published January 25, 2019 on YouTube. This was posted January 25, 2019 on Twitter as: Founded as a free state, Indiana nevertheless had a Constitutional provision that attempted to exclude free African-Americans from living there. In this episode of From the Vault, we analyze an item that shows this contradiction: the Vigo Co registry. by the Indiana Archives on Twitter.
1881 - Article XIII of the 1851 Indiana Constitution was formally removed from the constitution. It prohibited African-Americans from migrating to Indiana, despite the fact that 11,262 blacks were Hoosier citizens as of the 1850 census.
1881, April - FRIDAY FACT: Part of the criminal code the Indiana legislature approved in April 1881 said that marriages between a white person and a person deemed to have more than 1/8 negro blood were illegal, and those couples who did marry would be fined up to $1,000 and sent to state prison between 1 and 10 years. Anyone who assisted in these illegal marriages would be fined up to $1,000. Source: Laws of the State of Indiana, passed at the special session of the General Assembly begun on the 8th day of March, A.D. 1881 (Indianapolis: Carlon & Hollenbeck, 1881). Copied from October 11, 2013 post by Indiana Genenealogical Society on Facebook.
Early African Americans find local life a constant struggleBy 1900, there were 276 African Americans in Fort Wayne. The overall population was 45,115. Part of the reason for the increase was the migration of African Americans moving from the South. ... By 1910, William Warfield had built a solid life for his family. by Shannon Kin.
Today, we are featuring the Hana L. Stith Collection, courtesy of the African/African American Historical Society and Museum in Fort Wayne. This collection includes the Josephine Williams Obituary Collection.
With this collection, you can search by first and last name or browse the collection by surname.
On May 13, 1869, at a special session called by Governor Conrad Baker, and after much deliberation the Indiana General Assembly approved a law that admitted African American children to public schools.
In a 1912 article for the Indiana Magazine of History, Professor Abram C. Shortridge noted that around 1862 the Indiana State Teachers' Association began to lobby for "colored schools," but lawmakers failed to take on the issue until 1867. Shortridge lamented that until the 1869 special session it looked as if “the black children were doomed to run the streets for another term of two years while their fathers and mothers continued to pay their taxes, by the aid of which the children of the more favored race were kept in school ten months of the year." He noted that shortly after the amendment passed, Indianapolis prepared to accommodate these students and reported, "[S]ome of the buildings already abandoned were repaired and refurnished; others were rented, properly seated and made quite comfortable. By the first of September we were ready for all who might apply."
From this time until the late 1920s, Black children attended segregated elementary schools and integrated high schools. In the late 1920s, many Indiana cities established segregated high schools, such as Crispus Attucks in Indianapolis, Lincoln High School in Evansville, and Theodore Roosevelt High School in Gary. While a 1949 “fair schools” bill attempted to integrate Indiana schools, many remained segregated until the 1970s. Copied from a May 13, 2022 post by the Indiana Historical Bureau on Facebook. See their link to THE SCHOOLS OF INDIANAPOLIS—III A. C. SHORTRIDGE The Indiana Quarterly Magazine of History Vol. 8, No. 3 (SEPTEMBER, 1912), pp. 122-131 (10 pages), published by: Indiana University Press available on jstor.org.
The Negro Motorist Green Book, 1949 shows six Fort Wayne businesses listed on page 29. The 2018 movie Green Book about a 1962 field trip won the 2019 Best Picture and three out of five Academy Award nominations on February 24, 2019. See Sundown Towns.
Victor Hugo Green, Harlem postal worker turned travel agent, published the Negro Motorist Green Book from 1936-1967 posted March 10, 2017 on Indiana Landmarks. The guide recommended businesses and attractions around the country, including sites in Indiana, that would be friendly to African American travelers. via Indiana Landmarks.
[ Article includes image of 1960 Green Book locations in Fort Wayne ]
The Green Book and Indiana sites posted December 18, 2021 on the Archives of Hoosier History Live podcast on Saturdays, noon to 1 p.m. ET on WICR 88.7 FM introduction starts with The Green Book was an annual guidebook for African America motorists during an era of widespread discrimination. Published from the mid-1930s through the mid-1960s, the Green Book listed hotels, restaurants, gasoline stations and other sites that welcomed all travelers. Because sites across Indiana were included in most editions of the book that became known as the "bible of Black traveling", Hoosier History Live will explore them with a popular guide for Indiana history tours. Sampson Levingston of Through2Eyes will be Nelson’s guest to share insights about the impact of The Green Book and about the Indiana sites, many of them long gone.
The Green Book was trending today on Twitter and we saw that many were unfamiliar with just how important this guide was to Black travelers during Jim Crow. We wanted to revisit this archival piece to highlight how the book, created by Victor H. Green, a Black postal carrier from Harlem, helped motorists safely navigate during the segregation era.
At one time, the neighborhood southeast of downtown Fort Wayne was home to many of the city’s Black residents. As the business district expanded following World War II, commercial buildings, offices, and parking lots claimed many of the area’s older houses. One unlikely survivor serves today as home of the African/African-American Historical Society Museum of Fort Wayne, founded in 2000 to share the cultural heritage of Africa and the achievements of Blacks locally and nationally.
Located at 436 E. Douglas Avenue, the duplex that houses the museum’s collection has its own story to tell. It is the only building still standing in Fort Wayne once listed in the Negro Motorist Green Book, a travel guide for African Americans published between 1936 to 1967 to chronicle businesses safe to visit. Listed as “Mrs. B. Talbot’s Tourist Home,” the large Victorian residence offered shelter for Black travelers who were not welcomed in local, white-owned hotels.
The museum includes the area’s largest public collection of African art, as well as documents, photos, and artifacts highlighting Allen County’s Black and African American history from 1809 to present day. Read more about the museum, including how a recent grant is helping protect its collection: Grant Helps African American History Museum Regain Momentum
: Paul Hayden
Located at 436 E. Douglas Avenue, the duplex that houses the African/African-American Historical Society Museum of Fort...
Located at 436 E. Douglas Avenue, the duplex that houses the African/African-American Historical Society Museum of Fort Wayne Indiana has its own story to tell. It is the only building still standing in Fort Wayne once listed in the Negro Motorist Green Book, a travel guide for African Americans published between 1936 to 1967 to chronicle businesses safe to visit.
Listed as “Mrs. B. Talbot’s Tourist Home,” the large Victorian residence offered shelter for Black travelers who were not welcomed in local, white-owned hotels.
200 of the nearly 10,000 businesses advertised in the Green Book were in Indiana and included tourist homes, hotels and motels, resorts, taverns, restaurants, night clubs, liquor stores, gas/service stations, autobody shops, dry cleaners, drug stores, tailors, beauty parlors and barbers. Businesses located in homes, like tourist homes and beauty parlors, were often listed by the owner’s name. Copied from an October 2, 2023 post by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources on Facebook.
GREEN BOOK SITES: New York City postal worker Victor Hugo Green and his wife, Alma published “The Negro Motorist Green Book” to help African American travelers find travel services from 1936-1962; after Victor’s death, Alma published the guide on her own until 1967. This week, the Indiana DNR Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology (DHPA) will highlight some of these sites located in Indiana.
Indiana’s Greek Book locations were found across the state, in cities including Fort Wayne, Jeffersonville, Muncie, Elkhart, New Albany, Marion, Kokomo, Franklin, Vincennes, Gary, Michigan City, Anderson, Indianapolis, French Lick, West Baden Springs, Chesterton, Furnesville, South Bend, Angola, Lafayette, Evansville, and Terre Haute. Businesses located in homes, like tourist homes and beauty parlors, were often listed by the owner’s name. Mrs. H. Best operated a tourist home in Evansville, Vanderburgh County. It was listed in the Green Book from 1955-1963. The West Acres Motel in Fort Wayne, Allen County was listed in the Green Book from 1957-63.
Have you heard about this database of Green Book sites?
During the #segregation era, Green Books were travel guides used by African Americans, and were published from 1936 to 1967. To help preserve the history of these threatened and endangered sites, three University of Virginia alums are working to #map Green Book listings. They have started in #Virginia, #Maryland, and #rhodeisland and are working to broaden the #database to other states.
Did you know that the NATION'S LARGEST ARCHIVE of historical architectural, engineering, and landscape documentation IS the HABS/HAER/HALS Collection in The Library of Congress?
By visiting the COPYRIGHT-FREE collection online and at NO COST, you will access:
downloads of measured drawings black & white, and color large format photographs written historical reports
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology (DHPA) has received a $75,000 grant from the National Park Service’s Underrepresented Communities Grant Program to recognize Green Book sites in Indiana. . .
In the early 1930s, travel became more accessible thanks to the automobile. While White Americans traveled freely, African Americans faced many challenges. In response to the violence and fear, mail carrier Victor Green created a travel guide in the mid-30s. The Green Book became an essential tool for African Americans seeking safety and comfort on their journeys.
Winner of the 2019 Best Picture Academy Award, The Green Book," was inspired by this mid-20th-century guidebook. Discover the story of the Green-Book in Indiana on this week's episode of Journey Indiana.
Journey Indiana is produced by WTIU – Public Television from Indiana University. Journey Indiana airs live Thursdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 10:30 am and 6:30 pm and can be found on the web anytime at the link in our bio.
One of 2019's Oscar nominees for Best Picture is The Green Book...a movie named for a mid-20th century guidebook for African-American travelers. Here's the story of the Green-Book in Indiana. Experience the Hoosier state like never before on Journey Indiana. Take a road trip with us to discover the distinctive culture, history, people, and artistry that shape our state. Each week, hosts Ashley Dillard and Brandon Wentz travel to new destinations to learn what makes those communities special. Journey Indiana is produced by WTIU – Public Television from Indiana University. For more information, check us out at: journeyindiana.org
Twenty-two years before Loving v. Virginia, Anna Harley, a white woman, and Daniel Winters, an African American man, sacrificed family, friends, and even country, to live together as husband and wife. Copied from Before It Was Legal: a black-white marriage, 1945-1987 by Nancy Poling posted on January 17, 2018 by the Indiana Historical Bureau.
Your black history matters! Can you afford to lose your history? by Leah H. Reeder published September 5, 2015 in a Special to Frost Illustrated discusses a number of Fort Wayne firsts: Arthur Williams was the first African American policeman. The second policeman was Oliver Lee, hired in 1919. Laura Jackson was the first black female police officer . Dr. Theodore Roosevelt Borders, a Howard University graduate, was an early African American physician. Dr. Roland B. Wilson was another physician on staff at three different city hospitals. Dr. Alfred Stovall, a Howard Medical School graduate, along with Dr. Jeff Towles, a University of Louisville Medical School Graduate, in 1993 opened a full service medical facility on Lafayette and Pontiac Streets. Other early African American medical practitioners were: Dr. Roland B. Walter, Dr. James Graham, and Nancy Lester R.N. There were several small business owners, such as Dr. Stovall’s mother, Arrie Stovall, a graduate of the Madam C.J. Walker Beauty College of Birmingham, Ala. Carl and Mamie Wilson came to Fort Wayne in 1917 and were owner operators of several small businesses, a pool hall, an exterminating company and Wilson’s Chicken Shack, a small diner. In 1925, Ellis Micheaux Sr. opened the first funeral home in service to the African American community, after his passing in 1952; the business was operated by his wife, Mrs. Josie (Bryant) Micheaux until closing in 2002.
PrimeTime39 - September 28, 2018 Season 2018 Episode 31 | 26m 52s Fort Wayne Colored Giants Baseball. Guests - Al Brothers, Dr. Miles Edwards, and Jerry Markle. This area's only in-depth, live, weekly news, analysis and cultural update forum, PrimeTime 39 airs Fridays at 7:30pm. This program is hosted by PBS39's President/General Manager Bruce Haines. See more local Baseball information.
Copied from the article: The Boston native has learned a lot, such as:
Rather than playing for about a decade, as he first believed, Brothers discovered the Colored Giants started playing games as early as 1907 and continued until 1949.
African-American baseball teams existed all over Indiana, not just in a few large cities.
The Colored Giants traveled and played teams from a wide area. They occasionally played teams from the legendary Negro Leagues, including the Indianapolis ABCs; Homestead Grays from Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.; and the Chicago American Giants.
The Colored Giants had friendly rivalries with some of the all-white baseball teams in Fort Wayne, and the teams played each other frequently.
“We tend to think of the community as segregated,” Brothers said. “This (baseball) was one thing that pulled the community together.”
The Fort Wayne Colored Giants served as the longest Black baseball team to represent the city of Fort Wayne.
The post generated some interesting comments.
While not a part of any organized Negro League, the Fort Wayne Colored Giants hosted numerous well known Negro National League clubs such as the Chicago American Giants and the Indianapolis ABCs at League Park in Fort Wayne, as well as local teams like the Lincoln Lifers. pic.twitter.com/96vTRAcFiA
While not a part of any organized Negro League, the Fort Wayne Colored Giants hosted numerous well known Negro National League clubs such as the Chicago American Giants and the Indianapolis ABCs at League Park in Fort Wayne, as well as local teams like the Lincoln Lifers.
INJUSTICE’S LARIAT | LYNCHING IN INDIANA by Justin Clark published June 4, 2018 in
Hoosier State Chronicles Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Programblog was a June 4, 2018 Tweeter Tweet. The first paragraph states: Indiana, a state claimed as “free” from its statehood in 1816, was nevertheless the 7th highest non-southern state with racial terror lynchings, with 18 separate incidents. When searching through Indiana newspapers, many stories emerge of outlaw vigilantes who terrorized and brutalized African-Americans, sometimes for nothing more than alleged crimes. Since many were lynched before they received equal justice under the law, many of their lives ended tragically through injustice under the lariat. The article includes links to videos and more articles.
OSCAR ROGANSeveral years ago Todd Peterson sent me this box score, from the May 7, 1917, Fort Wayne (Indiana) Daily News, which showed a pitcher named Rogan and outfielders named Carr and Hawkins playing for the Fort Wayne Colored Giants. Published May 10, 2013 on Agate Type Reconstructing Negro League & Latin American Baseball.
Indiana's Hidden History 30 Minute Special published February 23, 2018 by WANE 15 News on YouTube
WANE-TV's Terra Brantley, Angelica Robinson and Kaitor Kposowa and other Indiana reporters present stories from around the Hoosier state that showcase the accomplishments of African Americans.
Indiana's Hidden History 20-minute video of local African American histories by Terra Brantley, posted: February 26, 2019 on CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15. Stories on Al Brother, Terra Brantley's DNA test results, the Alexander T. Rankin underground railroad house, Johnny Bright best college football player in the country,
Indiana's Hidden History published on February 25, 2019 by WANE 15 News on YouTube Indiana's Hidden History celebrated Black History Month by showcasing some of the local and regional accomplishments that related to African American culture.
Indiana's Hidden History
Indiana's Hidden History published February 21, 2020 by WANE 15 News on YouTube.
WANE15 anchor Terra Brantley showcases the contributions of local African Americans
How we got here Voices of Fort Wayne's black experience across the centuries by Connie Haas Zuber published June 21, 2020 in The Journal Gazette newspaper in reponse to the killing of George Floyd in the custody of the Minneapolis police. She discusses early Fort Wayne history with Alexander T. Rankin the abolistionist preacher who arrived in the fall of 1837 after recovering from a beating by a mob in Dayton, Ohio after his February abolition preaching. She covers the great migration of Blacks from the south to manufacturing jobs in Fort Wayne to the Rolling Mills area and more.
Migration of African Americans during 20th century to Northern states posted February 27, 2021 on the Archives of Hoosier History Live podcast on Saturdays, noon to 1 p.m. ET on WICR 88.7 FM introduction starts with: As Hoosier History Live salutes Black History Month, our focus will be on a massive movement of an estimated 6 million people during a span of nearly 60 years. Beginning during the World War I era, African Americans migrated in unprecedented numbers from the South to cities in Northern states, including Indiana. According to an article published in Smithsonian magazine, the waves of 20th century migration began with a move of Black families during the winter of 1916 from Selma, Alabama, to the North, a little-noticed start to powerful demographic shift that also encompassed a transition from agriculture to factory work. By the time it ended in the early 1970s, "a rural people had become urban." Some historians use the term Great Migration to apply to the entire span. Others refer to the era from the 1910s to 1940 as the First Great Migration, and describe the 1940s to 1970 movement as the Second Great Migration.
Edwin Gibson: A Distinguished Career Begins premiered March 8, 2022 by ARCH, Inc on YouTube Edwin Gibson, Indiana's first black registered architect, began his distinguished career with 17 years at A.M. Strauss Associates in Fort Wayne, leaving a legacy of impressive large buildings and high-styled homes.ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage) has been a leading force for preservation in Fort Wayne and Northeast Indiana since 1975 with monthly programs and more on their website: https://archfw.org/. Recordings of ARCH, Inc. programs are premiered on YouTube.
African-American students during the late 1800s in Indiana posted July 24, 2021 on the Archives of Hoosier History Live podcast on Saturdays, noon to 1 p.m. ET on WICR 88.7 FM introduction states: During the 1860s and '70s, "colored schools" (the term used during that era) began to open in Indiana. State laws required Black students to be educated in schools separate from their white counterparts.In 1886, the ceremony for the first graduate of Vincennes Colored High School in southwestern Indiana sparked a national controversy when whites boycotted the event, according to an article in the spring issue of Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History, the magazine published by the Indiana Historical Society. The article's author is acclaimed journalist, historian and researcher Eunice Trotter, who will be Nelson's guest to share insights about the ways Indiana cities handled the education of African American youth during the late 19th century.
Black Cemetery Network
by Melissa Tennant
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For many researchers, it is difficult to learn that our ancestors are buried in cemeteries that are not maintained, have become overgrown, possibly destroyed, or worse. For African Americans, this search for burial grounds can become even more complex. Historically segregated by race and with the expansion and growth caused by urban development, many Black cemeteries have become lost to history. Unfortunately, the number of African American cemeteries that have disappeared is unknown.
The Black Cemetery Network <https://blackcemeterynetwork.org> is a project created by the University of South Florida to bring the stories of these neglected African American cemeteries and those buried within from obscurity by collaborating with other individuals and organizations, researching the cemeteries or locations, and advocating to preserve historical Black burial sites. The Black Cemetery Network is a national network where individuals and groups working to preserve the history of a lost African American cemetery can contribute to the network.
As of the end of July 2022, there are sixty African American burial grounds registered across nineteen states, including Arkansas, North Carolina, and Michigan. To search for a cemetery, select the “Explore” tab at the top of the site and choose “The Archive” from the drop-down menu. One can search by a specific state, county, or town to learn the history of these lost graves and the work being done to preserve the stories of those buried at these locations.
When the project began, one of the initial locations researched was Zion Cemetery, the first African American cemetery established in Tampa, Florida, in 1901. Images show the apartments, warehouses, and other structures that were built over the cemetery. Using ground penetrating radar, more than 300 graves were located, and by researching death records, the group discovered 382 individuals were buried in Zion Cemetery between 1913 and 1920.
Other entries include the Nantucket Historic Coloured Cemetery in Nantucket, Massachusetts, which has burials starting potentially in 1805. Information provided includes maps of the cemetery sections along with names and dates for those buried. The Quarter Place Cemetery in Brookneal, Virginia, was once a plantation cemetery, where 147 burials have been discovered, some dating back to 1794. And finally, the Woodland Cemetery in Clemson, South Carolina, is where 667 unmarked graves were located using ground penetrating radar.
The details and information provided in each entry differ dramatically yet they each tell a story; a story of a lost cemetery, a community, the deceased individuals, and those hoping to preserve or document these cemeteries. The Black Cemetery Network <https://blackcemeterynetwork.org> is a great place to connect with and learn about African American cemeteries once lost and gratefully rediscovered.
A January 31, 2023 post by The History Center on Facebook:
In 1920, to help the newly arrived Black residents from the southern states cope with the problems of their new environment, a small group of Black citizens created the Fort Wayne Community Association. Shortly after its founding the group acquired a building at 502 East Wallace, but due to prejudice it was quickly moved to 421 East Douglas. With the move the organization also changed its name to the Phyllis Wheatley Center. The Wheatley Center offered programs for adults and children, including life skills, recreation clubs, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts. In 1930, the Wheatley Center became officially connected the Urban League. The latter focused on social and economic issues, while the former continued to focus on recreation. For over a decade, the two organizations continued to work together while focusing on their respective programs. In 1946, new Wheatley Center director, Robert Wilkerson, realized that if the center was to survive, they needed to address the needs of their community. On October 1, 1949, the Wheatley Center was restructured and the name was changed to the Fort Wayne Urban League. From its beginnings to today the Fort Wayne Urban League has been serving the community for over 100 years. #sociallyhistory
Do not miss our next lecture of the 2022-2023 George R. Mather Sunday Lecture Series, given by Aisha A. Arrington. In “The Persistent Movement Of The Urban League,” she will talk about how the Fort Wayne Urban League has been serving the community for over 100 years; making it one of the longest standing not-for-profit organizations in the area. Their mission is to “advance social equity and economic self-reliance for African Americans and others in underserved communities.” The Urban League is honored to share a part of that history and provide a vision moving forward to address the disparities that remain persistent for African American people (and other minorities) in areas of wealth, income, health, and social justice. It’s important to understand why the Urban League was assembled 100+ years ago and why the mission remains relevant today.
We will be offering in-person and virtual options. To attend the lecture virtually please contact the History Center in advance at administration@fwhistorycenter.org
The History Center
Sunday, February 5th
2 PM, Free Admission
Today, we are featuring the Fort Wayne Black pages & professional directory! To view this digital collection, click here: http://contentdm.acpl.lib.in.us/digital/collection/FWBP The Fort Wayne Black pages & professional directory was a privately-owned publication published by Walter T. Hayden. It was published annually and was not associated with any local or regional telephone company. It was not supported by any governmental grants or assistance. Publishing was made possible through the sale of advertising space in the publication to Black-owned businesses and major corporations supporting Black business development. These editions were generously provided by Fort Wayne resident, Linda Jones of the publisher’s family.
Back in the late 1960s, the idea of getting both black and white citizens of the area together for a social event was deemed a rather radical. The Black and White Ball was the idea of Evelyn Williams, who founded The Civics, Inc. in 1968. Membership in The Civics, Inc. was interracial “in keeping with the purpose of the Ball. Membership is limited to 50% Black, 50% White and no more than 15 members. At the beginning of each Ball year, members will donate seed money, if enough money is not available from the year before. This amount will be a minimum of $5.00 and a maximum of $25.00. The members of Civics, Inc. were racially diverse and from different fields of work. They realized that this diversity could be an asset in bringing about positive changes in Fort Wayne. The first two balls were held at the former Van Orman Hotel. Attendance in 1968 was 150—this doubled to 300 in 1969 and doubled again in 1970 to 600. The 1970 ball was held at The Lantern. By 1975, 800 guests attended the ball. Income obviously increased, with disbursements totaling $21,645.91 between 1968-1985. The group sponsored the Black and White Ball until 1977. In 1978 the ball was cancelled due to snow. Attendance at the 1977 ball was approximately 900 and had outgrown Southtown Mall, one of the locations for the event. But in 1985, when the Grand Wayne Center opened, the Civics brought the event back because there was now space again that was large enough to accommodate the crowd. The twelfth and final ball was held in 1987. #sociallyhistory
How Indiana's Historical Marker Program Highlights Black History #blackhistorymonth2023 #Indianapolis WRTV Indiana Historical Bureau
Today in History - March 3 at The Library of Congress. The Weeping Time On March 3, 1859, journalist Q. K. Philander Doesticks (Mortimer Thomson) attended an auction of 436 men, women, and children formerly held by Pierce M. Butler. Butler’s slaves were auctioned in order to pay debts incurred in gambling and the financial crash of 1857-58. Doesticks’ account, What Became of the Slaves on a Georgia Plantation?, includes vivid descriptions of the largest recorded slave auction in U.S. history. The grim sale, which took place over two rainy days on the eve of the Civil War, was referred to as “The Weeping Time.” Image 3 of Daniel Murray Pamphlet Collection copy Daniel Murray Pamphlet Collection copy - twenty page document: What became of the slaves on a Georgia plantation? : Great auction sale of slaves, at Savannah, Georgia, March 2d & 3d, 1859. A sequel to Mrs. Kemble's journal at The Library of Congress.
American Ancestors is excited to announce 10 Million Names, a new project that will recover the names and restore...
American Ancestors is excited to announce 10 Million Names, a new project that will recover the names and restore information to families of the estimated 10 million men, women, and children of African descent who were enslaved in America between the 1500s and 1865.
The end result of 10 Million Names will be a centralized repository of genealogical and historical information about enslaved people of African descent and their families on a free website. This will take years to accomplish, but we’re already underway.
To do the work, 10 Million Names is engaging a collaborative network of expert genealogists, cultural organizations, and community-based family historians. Together we will amplify the voices of people who have been telling their family stories for centuries, connect researchers and data partners with people seeking answers to family history questions, and expand access to data, resources, and information about enslaved African Americans.
10 Million Names is a new project by American Ancestors to recover the names of the 10 million people of African descent who were enslaved before 1865 in the U.S.
During African American History Month, we are sharing a resource that highlights and explores the vast history of Black people in the United States. Enslaved.org is a “discovery hub” linking digital projects and online sources that allow researchers and educators to explore the lives of enslaved people.
Do you know why #BlackHistoryMonth is celebrated in February and how the tradition began?
Dr. Carter G. Woodson, known as the Father of Black History, first established “Negro History Week” during the second week of February in 1915. Dr. Woodson chose that week because it coincided with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in the same year.
The National Archives holdings contain records of the first official observance of National Black History Month in February 1976, when President Gerald Ford memorialized the achievements of Dr. Woodson in the bicentennial year of American Independence. National Black History Month Message, 1976
We're kicking off Black History Month by delving into the stories of the enslaved people whose forced labor built the largest Christian denomination in the United States. Discover the insights shared by our attendees during our recent author talk on "The 272" by Rachel Swarns. If you weren't able to catch the live event, you can watch the recording here: Rachel L. Swarns with The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the Catholic Church
"If we're going to understand anything about freedom, we have to understand the people who were denied that freedom."...
"If we're going to understand anything about freedom, we have to understand the people who were denied that freedom." —Dr. Vincent Brown, 10 Million Names Scholars' Council Member.
Explore rare and historic audio recordings featuring interviews with formerly enslaved individuals conducted in the 1940s and 1970s. Last night on ABC News Live Nightline, 10 Million Names historians delved into the significance of these recordings, shedding light on their role in understanding the legacy of slavery in America.
American Ancestors and New England Historic Genealogical Society CEO Ryan Woods discusses the significance of the 10 Million Names initiative at #RootsTech2024 #10MillionNames #10MillionNamesProject #10MN
Black men were among the first cowboys in the U.S., but pop culture erased them from the Western milieu over time, creating misleading iconography of an Old West filled with white men on horseback, riding the lonely grasslands. The Library’s collections help document a more accurate picture.
Featuring records for more than 183,000 formerly enslaved people, Articles of Enslavement is a free and first of its kind collection created using cutting-edge technology to analyze original newspaper articles and advertisements to resurface the names, ages, physical descriptions, and crucial details of long sought after enslaved ancestors. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4bfhZKs
Featuring records for more than 183,000 formerly enslaved people, Articles of Enslavement is a free and first of its kind collection created using cutting-edge technology to analyze original newspaper articles and advertisements to resurface the names, ages, physical descriptions, and crucial details of long sought after enslaved ancestors.
#OTD in 1888, Edward Cooper became publisher of the Indianapolis Freeman. Under his leadership he transformed a local weekly newspaper into a nationally circulated periodical as the first illustrated African American newspaper, which Cooper billed “the Harper’s Weekly of the Colored Race.”
Cooper employed political cartoonists like Henry Jackson Lewis, Moses Lenore Tucker, and Edward H. Lee. The political cartoons strongly chastised the Republican Party on issues of civil rights.
Who is Black? One Nation's Definition by F. James Davis on PBS Frontline
F. James Davis is a retired professor of sociology at Illinois State University. He is the author of numerous books, including Who is Black? One Nation's Definition (1991), from which this excerpt was taken. Reprinted with permission of Penn State University Press The One-Drop Rule Defined To be considered black in the United States not even half of one's ancestry must be African black. But will one-fourth do, or one-eighth, or less? The nation's answer to the question 'Who is black?" has long been that a black is any person with any known African black ancestry. This definition reflects the long experience with slavery and later with Jim Crow segregation. In the South it became known as the "one-drop rule,'' meaning that a single drop of "black blood" makes a person a black. It is also known as the "one black ancestor rule," some courts have called it the "traceable amount rule," and anthropologists call it the "hypo-descent rule," meaning that racially mixed persons are assigned the status of the subordinate group. This definition emerged from the American South to become the nation's definition, generally accepted by whites and blacks. Blacks had no other choice. As we shall see, this American cultural definition of blacks is taken for granted as readily by judges, affirmative action officers, and black protesters as it is by Ku Klux Klansmen.
Race and the Census: The “Negro” Controversy at Pew Research Center
Before 1960, census-takers filled out the enumeration forms and chose the category for each American they counted. They used a detailed set of instructions from the government, key points of which are listed below. The 1960 Census was a transitional year in which census-takers chose the race for some Americans, and others self-identified from a list of categories. From 1970 to 1990, most Americans filled out their own forms and checked off a race category for themselves. Starting in 2000, they could choose more than one. [ See Census and Race on our Census page. ]
Our #Unwelcomed exhibit is accumulating a lot of frequent traveler points with this latest move! Thanks to the Fort...
Our #Unwelcomed exhibit is accumulating a lot of frequent traveler points with this latest move! Thanks to the Fort Wayne Metropolitan Human Relations Commission, this exhibit is now being hosted at the Fort Wayne Urban League for the month of October, with specialized content specific to Fort Wayne and Allen County. [ Third image shows a local 1948 deed covenant now an unconstitutional restriction and 1950s-1960s "restricted" housing newspaper advertisements ]
Check it out during their usual business hours and don't forget to let us know what you thought of the exhibit in the feedback book.
Through historic documents, news stories and interactive QR codes, this exhibit walks participants through the historical and systemic barriers that have impacted and shaped today’s neighborhoods.
Through historic documents, news stories and interactive QR codes, this exhibit walks participants through the historical and systemic barriers that have impacted and shaped today’s neighborhoods.
A key resource in researching African American heritage at the Genealogy Center is The African American Gateway, available online at 
It combines these resources with thousands of links for an enhanced research experience. 
Not sure how or where to start? Stop by the Genealogy Center at the Main Library downtown for a chat with a Genealogy Librarian! 
Or start here with our how-to videos: 
: Paul Hayden
Green Book
downloads of measured drawings
In the early 1930s, travel became more accessible thanks to the automobile. While White Americans traveled freely, African Americans faced many challenges. In response to the violence and fear, mail carrier Victor Green created a travel guide in the mid-30s. The Green Book became an essential tool for African Americans seeking safety and comfort on their journeys. 
