The Freetown Village Singers are the featured artists for CCPL’s “Sunday Vibes” Musical Series; free public program with registration.

“We Return Fighting”:

Defense and Defiance in Muncie

Join our monthly conversation with historians, researchers, and educators as we discuss topics related to Indiana’s Black heritage.

Our speaker will be local historian, Anthony Conley. His presentation will focus on the courageous role Black congregants of Muncie’s Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church had in one of the most grisly episodes in our state’s racial history.

On the evening of August 9, 1930, a white mob stormed the Grant County Jail where Thomas Shipp and Abraham Smith were being held following their arrest after being falsely accused of raping a young white woman. The men were forcibly removed and hanged from a tree in a nearby square.

Over twenty-four hours elapsed before congregants of Bethel AME Church (Muncie, IN), along with a white Delaware County law-enforcement officer, were able to retrieve the two lynching victims, protecting them from further desecration.

Bethel AME’s actions that evening, this presentation maintains, exhibited the spirit W.E.B. DuBois’ “We Return Fighting” essay captured as venerable activist and intellectual implored African Americans to “marshal every ounce of our (Black) brain and brawn” to fight against racism and injustice in postwar America.

Event is free but registration is required. Click here to reserve your ticket.

• In Person: Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at Indiana Landmarks, 1201 N. Central Avenue, Indianapolis, IN and talk begins at 6:00 p.m.

• Online: Livestream will begin at 6:00 p.m.

"Recovering the History of Norwood"

Join our monthly conversation with historians, researchers, and educators as we discuss topics related to Indiana’s Black heritage.

Our speaker will be Kaila Austin, local historian and artist. Her presentation will introduce us to the Norwood neighborhood and its partner community, Barrington, both located in the Southeast quadrant of Indianapolis, Indiana.

Established by US Colored Troop Veterans during the Reconstruction period (1867-1877), Norwood and Barrington are two of the oldest, descendant-maintained African American communities in the United States. Ms. Austin will present aspects of the history of the Indiana 28th Regiment and their Kentucky counterparts during the years of the Civil War and the nearly two centuries of work the descendant community has done to maintain their ancestral homes.

Event is free but registration is required. Click here to reserve your ticket.

• In Person: Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at Indiana Landmarks, 1201 N. Central Avenue, Indianapolis, IN and talk begins at 6:00 p.m.

• Online: Livestream will begin at 6:00 p.m.

"Lieutenant Colonel Joseph H. Ward, M.D."

Join our monthly conversation with historians, researchers, and educators as we discuss topics related to Indiana’s Black heritage.

Next month, our speaker will be Leon Bates, local historian, veteran, and educator. His presentation will introduce us to Lieutenant Colonel Joseph H. Ward, M.D.

Genealogists say the single most important mark on a grave marker is the dash between the date of birth and date of death, for it is this dash that represents all that one has accomplished in their lifetime. An example of this concept is the simple government issued stone in section 60, lot 639, at Crown Hill Cemetery, which marks the resting place of Joseph Henry Ward. A first- generation freedman, born in a slave cabin in Wilson, North Carolina; Ward went on to become a physician, surgeon, entrepreneur, army officer, first African American to lead a U.S. Army field hospital, first African American to lead a U.S. veteran’s hospital, and the first African American to lead a major hospital in the United States. He did all this at the height of the Jim Crow era, between Plessy vs. Ferguson and Brown vs. Board of Education (1896-1954), and yet, almost no one knows his name.​

Sponsored by Indiana Landmarks’ Black Heritage Preservation Program, Indiana Humanities, IUPUI Africana Studies Program, and ASALH Joseph Taylor Branch (Association of the Study of African American Life and History).

Event is free but registration is required. Click here to reserve your ticket.

• In Person: Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at Indiana Landmarks, 1201 N. Central Avenue, Indianapolis, IN and talk begins at 6:00 p.m.

• Online: Livestream will begin at 6:00 p.m.

On your visit to Winterlights , you’ll have the chance to hear holiday carols performed by the Freetown Village Singers, at 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. !

Experience the wonder of over a million and a half lights glittering in The Garden this holiday season at Winterlights presented by Bank of America. For the sixth year in a row tradition abounds and old favorites return—Landscape of Light dances on Lilly Allee while wind whistles in the Ice Storm Walk. Don’t forget the treats—holiday goodies like gooey chocolate chip cookies and hot cocoa are served up under the glow of the lights. Grab your friends and family—maybe a scarf and some mittens, too and get ready to wrap yourself in the magic of the holidays during Winterlights.

On your visit to Winterlights , you’ll have the chance to hear holiday carols performed by the Freetown Village Singers, at 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. !

Experience the wonder of over a million and a half lights glittering in The Garden this holiday season at Winterlights presented by Bank of America. For the sixth year in a row tradition abounds and old favorites return—Landscape of Light dances on Lilly Allee while wind whistles in the Ice Storm Walk. Don’t forget the treats—holiday goodies like gooey chocolate chip cookies and hot cocoa are served up under the glow of the lights. Grab your friends and family—maybe a scarf and some mittens, too and get ready to wrap yourself in the magic of the holidays during Winterlights.

On your visit to Winterlights , you’ll have the chance to hear holiday carols performed by the Freetown Village Singers, at 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. !

Experience the wonder of over a million and a half lights glittering in The Garden this holiday season at Winterlights presented by Bank of America. For the sixth year in a row tradition abounds and old favorites return—Landscape of Light dances on Lilly Allee while wind whistles in the Ice Storm Walk. Don’t forget the treats—holiday goodies like gooey chocolate chip cookies and hot cocoa are served up under the glow of the lights. Grab your friends and family—maybe a scarf and some mittens, too and get ready to wrap yourself in the magic of the holidays during Winterlights.

On your visit to Winterlights , you’ll have the chance to hear holiday carols performed by the Freetown Village Singers, at 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. !

Experience the wonder of over a million and a half lights glittering in The Garden this holiday season at Winterlights presented by Bank of America. For the sixth year in a row tradition abounds and old favorites return—Landscape of Light dances on Lilly Allee while wind whistles in the Ice Storm Walk. Don’t forget the treats—holiday goodies like gooey chocolate chip cookies and hot cocoa are served up under the glow of the lights. Grab your friends and family—maybe a scarf and some mittens, too and get ready to wrap yourself in the magic of the holidays during Winterlights.

"Lieutenant Colonel Joseph H. Ward, M.D."

Join our monthly conversation with historians, researchers, and educators as we discuss topics related to Indiana’s Black heritage.

Our speaker will be Leon Bates, local historian, veteran, and educator. His presentation will introduce us to Lieutenant Colonel Joseph H. Ward, M.D.

Genealogists say the single most important mark on a grave marker is the dash between the date of birth and date of death, for it is this dash that represents all that one has accomplished in their lifetime. An example of this concept is the simple government issued stone in section 60, lot 639, at Crown Hill Cemetery, which marks the resting place of Joseph Henry Ward. A first- generation freedman, born in a slave cabin in Wilson, North Carolina; Ward went on to become a physician, surgeon, entrepreneur, army officer, first African American to lead a U.S. Army field hospital, first African American to lead a U.S. veteran’s hospital, and the first African American to lead a major hospital in the United States. He did all this at the height of the Jim Crow era, between Plessy vs. Ferguson and Brown vs. Board of Education (1896-1954), and yet, almost no one knows his name.​

Sponsored by Indiana Landmarks’ Black Heritage Preservation Program, Indiana Humanities, IUPUI Africana Studies Program, and ASALH Joseph Taylor Branch (Association of the Study of African American Life and History).

Event is free but registration is required. Click here to reserve your ticket.

• In Person: Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at Indiana Landmarks, 1201 N. Central Avenue, Indianapolis, IN and talk begins at 6:00 p.m.

• Online: Livestream will begin at 6:00 p.m.

Since 1982, Freetown Village has persevered in its commitment to share Indiana African American history and culture to adults and especially to our children—the next generation of leaders. We invite you to celebrate our 2023 Honorees with us on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, in the newly renovated Madam Walker Legacy Center Ballroom.

All donations are 100% tax deductible and will support the youth outreach programming of Freetown Village.

Tickets and sponsorship packages are available. Click here for more information.

The Freetown Village Singers will be one of the featured performing groups at this year’s SPARK Fest.

Circle SPARK Fest is a two-day fall festival on Oct. 28 and 29 featuring live music by an amazing array of local musicians, delicious food, artisan vendors, and hands-on creative activities led by Indianapolis artists. Activities include pumpkin carving, making pottery, and lots more. The festival, which runs from 11 am until 6 pm each day, is free to attend. And it takes place at the pop-up park on the southwest quadrant of Monument Circle.

The Freetown Village Singers will perform at 12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.

"African Americans, Fox Lake, and the Natural World in Indiana"

Join our monthly conversation with historians, researchers, and educators as we discuss topics related to Indiana’s Black heritage.

Our speaker will be Anthony Conley, former history instructor at Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis. His presentation will explore the intersection between African Americans and access to safe natural-world sporting and recreational spaces in 20th-century American society. Fox Lake, an outdoor resort area located in northeastern Indiana, represented African Americans’ successful quest to access these spaces in the Hoosier state. This quest developed in an atmosphere historically hostile to African Americans' presence in the state; legalized racial exclusion, Sundown-Town traditions, and episodes of lethal violence were grim reminders of these sentiments. African aquatic culture and the nature of life in the South were key motivators for the group's desire to consume outdoor recreational activities. Among the lake’s pioneering supporters were Black residents from Indianapolis and Ft. Wayne. While Fox Lake received the greatest percentage of its support from middle- and professional-class African Americans, working-class Blacks were equally successful in accessing a number of hunting, fishing, and swimming spaces in Indiana during the mid-twentieth century. This study centers Black Hoosiers’ support for Fox Lake and other natural-world spaces within the broader context of African Americans and outdoor sporting and recreational activities.

Sponsored by Indiana Landmarks’ Black Heritage Preservation Program, Indiana Humanities, IUPUI Africana Studies Program, and ASALH Joseph Taylor Branch (Association of the Study of African American Life and History).

Event is free but registration is required. Click here to reserve your ticket.

• In Person: Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at Indiana Landmarks, 1201 N. Central Avenue, Indianapolis, IN and talk begins at 6:00 p.m.

• Online: Livestream will begin at 6:00 p.m.

Join Freetown at SPARK for an immersive candle-making experience! Visitors will have the opportunity to learn the art of candle making, where they'll create their very own drip candle. It's a hands-on adventure in the world of candle making that's perfect for individuals, families, and friends looking for a memorable and crafty day out.

Black Hair Power: Retelling the Narrative of Resistance Through the Lens of Afrocentric Hair

Join our monthly conversation with historians, researchers, and educators as we discuss topics related to Indiana’s Black heritage.

The act of resistance is manifested in various forms. In fact, the influence of Afrocentric hair, not to mention the political influence, has further impacted the manifestation of resistance, especially for Blacks in Indianapolis. The influence of Afrocentric hair has to be included in the conversation of resisting.

Patricia Turley, Ph.D is an assistant professor of the Africana Studies Program in the School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI. She is also the associate director of the Olaniyan Scholar Program, an undergraduate research program. Dr. Turley primarily teaches research methodologies courses in Africana Studies. She also teaches an AfroCentric Hair course that stemmed from her research interests.

Sponsored by Indiana Landmarks’ Black Heritage Preservation Program, Indiana Humanities, IUPUI Africana Studies Program, and ASALH Joseph Taylor Branch (Association of the Study of African American Life and History).

Event is free but registration is required. Click here to reserve your ticket.

• In Person: Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at Indiana Landmarks, 1201 N. Central Avenue, Indianapolis, IN and talk begins at 6:00 p.m.

• Online: Livestream will begin at 6:00 p.m.

Freetown Village Singers will have the privilege of performing at the Indiana Veteran’s Home (West Lafayette, IN).

Originally created to care for veterans of the Civil War, the Indiana Veterans’ Home welcomed its first resident in 1896. Located on 250+ acres in West Lafayette, IVH is a full-service care facility offering a complete array of services for residents.

"The mission of the Indiana Veterans' Home is to honor Indiana's veterans and their spouses by providing the highest level of care in a therapeutic home-like environment, enhancing health and yielding optimal quality of life. To do this and meet the unique needs of these heroes and their families, we deliver compassionate and comprehensive skilled care while integrating arts and cultural programming and preserving the rich history of the Home."

The Freetown Village Singers have been invited to participate in the annual Penrod Arts Fair! Join us on Saturday, September 9th, 2023 from 11:15am – 11:40am at the Symphony Stage on the beautiful Newfields campus.

This year’s fair features over three hundred artists, six stages of entertainment, approximately 75 arts-related non-profit organizations, and an extensive children’s area. Fair hours are 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Performance is free with fair admission.

Join our monthly conversation with historians, researchers, and educators as we discuss topics related to Indiana’s Black heritage.

This month, Charlene Fletcher, Ph.D. IUPUI Africana Studies Program Associate Faculty and curator, will discuss “Club Women - a Seat at the Table. African American Women and the Right to Vote”

The 19th Amendment, passed in 1920, granted voting rights to women in the United States, and Americans often celebrated it as a triumphant victory for women's rights. Yet not all women - particularly Black women - could relish the victory. This workshop provides insight into how Black women in Indiana and around the country navigated the suffrage movement at the turn of the 20th century.

Sponsored by Indiana Landmarks’ Black Heritage Preservation Program, Indiana Humanities, IUPUI Africana Studies Program, and ASALH Joseph Taylor Branch (Association of the Study of African American Life and History).

Event is free but registration is required. Click here to reserve your ticket.

• In Person: Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at Indiana Landmarks, 1201 N. Central Avenue, Indianapolis, IN and talk begins at 6:00 p.m.

• Online: Livestream will begin at 6:00 p.m.

Join our monthly conversation with historians, researchers, and educators as we discuss topics related to Indiana’s Black heritage.

This month, Anthony Conley will discuss Black Migration to Indiana in the 19th Century and how The Gas Boom of the 1880s-1890s transformed East-Central Indiana’s industrialization and urbanization. The discovery in 1886 of the 5,120 square-mile pocket of natural gas which extended across eastern Indiana and western Ohio, activated business ventures ranging from glass manufacturing to real-estate speculation. Increased urbanization followed on the heels of the region’s rapid industrial expansion. Small towns grew into cities as Hoosiers left rural communities for more promising economic prospects in the numerous factories and supporting enterprises which sprang up in nearby cities. Black migrants from rural communities and towns in Indiana and Ohio were part of this urbanization process. African Americans’ arrival in cities such as Richmond, Muncie, New Castle, Anderson and Marion not only increased these cities’ overall populations; they also formed the foundations of their Old Guard Black communities. This Old Guard population was instrumental in forming local religious and social institutions which bonded together group members and sustained them during a period of rapid cultural, political and economic transformation.

Sponsored by Indiana Landmarks’ Black Heritage Preservation Program, Indiana Humanities, IUPUI Africana Studies Program, and ASALH Joseph Taylor Branch (Association of the Study of African American Life and History).

Event is free but registration is required. Click here to reserve your ticket.

• In Person: Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at Indiana Landmarks, 1201 N. Central Avenue, Indianapolis, IN and talk begins at 6:00 p.m.

• Online: Livestream will begin at 6:00 p.m.

Join our monthly conversation with historians, researchers, and educators as we discuss topics related to Indiana’s Black heritage.

This month, Leon Bates, urban historian, will discuss Early Black Indiana and the lynching of John Tucker. Most people think of lynching as a problem of the old confederate south. However, on July 4, 1845, at two in the afternoon, an unarmed freeman of color was bludgeoned to death in Indianapolis at the intersection of N. Illinois Street and W. Washington Streets – as more than 100 people watched the violence unfold. 

Sponsored by Indiana Landmarks’ Black Heritage Preservation Program, Indiana Humanities, IUPUI Africana Studies Program, and ASALH Joseph Taylor Branch (Association of the Study of African American Life and History).

Event is free but registration is required. Click here to reserve your ticket.

• In Person: Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at IUPUI Africana Studies @ the Madam Walker Legacy Center and talk begins at 6:00 p.m.

• Online: Livestream will begin at 6:00 p.m.