The legacies of black Hoosier innovators and the history of race relations will be the topics of upcoming local Black History Month events.
•Franklin College’s fifth lecture for the 2015-16 Convocation Lecture Series, titled “After Slavery: A Consideration of ‘Slavery By Another Name,’” will feature Deborah Gray White, Ph.D., at 7 p.m. Feb. 25. The lecture will be in the Branigin Room of the Napolitan Student Center.
White is a Board of Governors Distinguished Professor of History at Rutgers University, author of multiple works about black women’s history and coauthor of a college history textbook, “Freedom On My Mind: A History of African-Americans.” An Organization of American Historians Distinguished Lecturer, White will offer remarks on “Slavery by Another Name,” the film based on Douglas Blackmon’s Pulitzer-Prize winning book.
As a prelude to this Black History Month and Religious Emphasis Week lecture, the film “Slavery by Another Name” will be shown at 5 p.m. Feb. 25 in Richardson Chapel.
Admission to the lecture and film is free and open to the public.
For more information, contact the Franklin College Office of Marketing and Communications at 738-8185.
The Indiana Historical Society is celebrating Black History Month by using both the written and spoken word to share stories of Indiana’s African-American communities.
The month-long tribute includes a free night of special performances on Feb. 25.
•“Speak: Voices in Indianapolis Black History will run from 7 to 9 p.m., inside the Stardust Terrace Café at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, 450 W. Ohio St., Indianapolis. The event will showcase the talents of three spoken-word artists. Gabrielle Patterson, Theon Lee and Januarie York will use poetry to delve into Indianapolis’ rich traditions and heritage.
Light refreshments will be provided, as well as a cash bar in partnership with Sun King Brewing. Parking will be free on a first-come, first-served basis.
•Throughout February, guests to the William Henry Smith Memorial Library can view treasures such as a rare image of baseball wizard C.I. Taylor and the 1876 final examination record of Mary Rann, the first black student to attend Indianapolis High School, which later became Shortridge High School.
The library is free and open to the public during the History Center’s regular operating hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays. Cost of admission for the Indiana Experience, which includes award-winning offerings such as the You Are There series and Destination Indiana, is $7 for adults, $6.50 for seniors and $5 for kids (ages 5 to 17). IHS members and children under five are free.
For more information on IHS’s Black History Month offerings and other programs, call 232-1882 or visit IHS online at indiana history.org.
