Panel discussion on the importance of Black newspapers on February 6

INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 31, 2024) — On Tuesday, February 6, the Indiana Historical Society (IHS) hosts a panel discussion with a group of prominent historians on the importance of Black newspapers to the construction of the historical narrative.

“Power and Impact of the Black Press” takes place Tuesday, February 6 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, located at 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis. Check in for the event begins at 6:30 p.m.

Historical newspapers are critical resources to our work as educators, historians and researchers. Newspapers provide the dates, names and locations that serve as the foundation of our searches and lead us in new directions. The Black press is extremely important because, in the absence of missing historical records and documentation, newspapers serve as a chronicle of Black stories.

Panelists will examine the advocacy, history and power of four pivotal Black newspapers: the Christian Recorder, Indianapolis Freeman, Indianapolis Colored World, and Indianapolis Recorder.

Panelists are as follows:

– Susan L. Hall-Dotson – African American Collections Curator, Indiana Historical Society
– Dr. Les Etienne – Director of Africana Studies and Clinical Assistant Professor in Africana Studies, IUPUI
– Nichelle M. Hayes MPA, MLS – Founding Director of the Center for Black Literature and Culture, President, Black Caucus of the American Library Association
– Kisha Tandy – Curator of Social History, Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites

Guest tickets are $5; IHS members are free. To register for this event, please visit: https://rb.gy/a0xib4.

This event is presented by The Charlitta and Robin Winston Family Fund for African American History with support by ASALH Joseph Taylor Branch.

For more information about these exhibits and other IHS offerings, call (317) 232-1882 or visit www.indianahistory.org.

About the Indiana Historical Society (IHS)
The Indiana Historical Society collects and preserves Indiana’s unique stories; brings Hoosiers together in remembering and sharing the past; and inspires a future grounded in our state’s uniting values and principles. IHS is a Smithsonian Affiliate and a member of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience.