Black History News & Notes
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BLACK HISTORY NEWS & NOTES NOVEMBER 1993 NUMBER 54 The Other Side of Hoosier Hysteria: Segregation, Sports, and the IHSAA by Stanley Warren At the dawn of the twentieth cen dents were usually only allowed to tury, most school officials realized participate in non-contact sports that interest in team sports had such as track and field. They were grown to a point that they were a rarely included in club activities. fixture in the lives of school-age In small communities with boys and girls. The beginning of the almost totally white populations, an Indiana High School Athletic Asso occasional black player did not ciation (IHSAA) in 1903 was a natu seem to warrant a challenge. The ral evolution as schools attempted to northern part of the state appeared to create teams, schedule games, and be more tolerant than Indianapolis plan tournaments.1 in its interpretation of who could When the association was play on its high school teams. How formed, the racial climate in Indiana ever, just as many elementary was similar to the climate in many schools in the state were not totally other states, both North and South. segregated, the same held true for Segregation was prevalent, sports teams during even the regardless of the geographical con harshest periods of segregation and text. Around the country, there had discrimination. Sometimes team IHS C2235 been thousands of lynchings in the spirit overruled prejudice, intimida Basketball players at the Senate Avenue years prior to 1903 with more than tion, and external regulations. YMCA. 100 in 1900. During 1900 and 1901, In Indianapolis, the team sports void for black boys and young black blacks in Indiana were lynched in INDUSTRIAL SUNDAY SCHOOL men was filled in several ways. Rockport, Boonville, and Terre Walker Big Five Bethel Local church, Sunday school, and Haute.2 O. Martin Coal Co. Hill Midgets industrial basketball leagues made There had been no intent to have Lilly Cardinals Witherspoon the basketball court at the Senate an integrated association since 13th St. Pets Comwalei Avenue Young Men’s Christian white schools in the state generally J.T.V. Hill Simpson Association (YMCA) a very busy did not engage in athletic contests or Brightwood Caldwell place. In 1927, the Mid-West States other activities with black or Catho Basketball Conference was formed. CHURCH lic schools. South Bend Catholic There were teams from Detroit, and Indianapolis Cathedral, with Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, Simpson limited options, regularly sched Fort Wayne, Muncie, and Indianap Second Christian uled athletic contests with black olis.3 Leagues at the Senate Avenue Hill Flashes high schools throughout the state. YMCA catered to boys and young 25th St. Baptist In large urban settings, such as Indi men in a program that produced vig Witherspoon anapolis and Gary, where black and orous competition among the play Scott’s Caldwell white students attended the same ers and rabid support from fans. The Allen Chapel4 high schools until provision was principle leagues at the YMCA made to segregate them, black stu were: Continued on page 3 BHNN_1993-11_NO54 three letters of reference. For application forms and additional Historical Happenings information, write to Scholars-in- Residence Program, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037-1801. Tele Fellowships are awarded for con phone: (212) 491-2203. Scholars-in-Residence tinuous periods of six or twelve Program months at the Schomburg Center. Up to four full year fellowships may IAH Annual The Schomburg Center for be awarded. Fellows will receive sti Meeting Research in Black Culture, a unit of pends of $15,000 for six months and the New York Public Library’s up to $30,000 for twelve months. The 1994 annual conference of Research Libraries, announces its They must devote full time to their the Indiana Association of Histo Scholars-in-Residence Program. research projects and may not be rians will be held 25-26 February in The residency program, partially employed or hold other major fel New Harmony, Indiana. Most ses supported by the National Endow lowships or grants during the period sions will take place in the Con ment for Humanities and the Aaron in residence. Those selected may ference Center or the New Harmony Diamond Foundation, assists those supplement their stipends with Inn, although a number of sessions scholars and professionals whose small outside grants if the requisite and special events are scheduled in research in the black experience can approval is received from the historic Harmonist/Owenite struc benefit from extended access to the Schomburg Center. At the end of tures. A block of rooms is being Center’s collections. Seminars, col- the residency, the fellow will submit held for registrants at the New Har loquia, forums, symposia, and con a written report of his/her project mony Inn. A limited number of low- ferences will complement the and an evaluation of the program. cost accommodations are also avail residency program. The program is The award period is for the able for students in the Barn Abbey. designed to facilitate interaction 1994-1995 academic year. The Conference registration materials among the participants, including application deadline is 15 January will be available in December. fellows funded by other sources, 1994 and notification of awards will Chairperson for the Conference and to provide for widespread dis be made by 1 April 1994. Applica Planning Committee is: Darrel semination of findings through lec tions must include a completed Bigham, Department of History, tures, publications, and the Schom form, a detailed statement of the University of Southern Indiana, burg Center Seminars. The Schom project, a curriculum vitae, a sam 8600 University Boulevard, Evans burg Center program encompasses ple of the applicant’s work, and ville, IN 47112, (812) 465-7014. projects in African, Afro-Ameri can, and Afro-Caribbean history and culture. The fellowship program is open to scholars in the humanities study ing black history and culture and to professionals in fields related to the Schomburg Center’s collections and program activities — librarianship, archives and museum administra tion, special collections, pho tographs, audiovisual material, and publications. Studies in the social sciences, the arts, science and tech nology, psychology, education, and religion are eligible if they utilize a humanistic approach and contribute to humanistic knowledge. Persons George VanSickles seeking support for research leading A celebration and reception for the recently published anthology, Indiana s African- to degrees are not eligible under this American Heritage: Essays from Black History News & Notes, was held 22 program. Candidates for advanced September 1993 at the Madame Walker Urban Life Center in Indianapolis. The degrees must have received the event, hosted by the book’s publisher, the Indiana Historical Society, was attended degree or completed all require by over 100 guests. Above, four cfthe book’s thirteen contributing authors, Stanley ments for it by the application dead Warren, Gloria Gibson-Hudson, Wilma L. Gibbs (also editor of the volume), and line. William E. Taylor, are introduced to the audience. 2 Continued from page 1 team from Gary Froebel High The difference in participation rates School, which enrolled a large at the schools may have resulted League play culminated with a city number of black students, had 29 from the much larger number of tournament played before YMCA athletes, of whom 15 were black. black students enrolled at Short members and other interested fans. The half-mile relay team, which was ridge. Although blacks were late It had all the flavor of a high school all black, set a blistering pace as participants in Indianapolis high tournament except that many of the they cruised to a new state record school basketball, as early as 1902, players were older than traditional time of 1:31.9. Robert Scott, a mem there were two black players on the students. The winner and runner-up ber of the half-mile relay team, also football team at Manual High represented Indianapolis in an invi set a new state standard of 23 feet School and one on the baseball tational tournament that drew teams 3/4 inch in the long jump competi team .13 from around the state. Similarities tion. From another part of the state, In spite of the difficulties to the tourney structure of the Allen Dillingham of Connersville involved in starting a new school IHSAA was undoubtedly inten High School, tied for first place in that was molded from an unhealthy tional. Other popular teams usually the high jump at 6 feet 7/8 inch.7 philosophical climate, by 1930 entered in city tournaments were: While track and field seemed to Crispus Attucks was a stable part of Linkbelt A.C., Walker Theatre, be the sport in which blacks were the black community. The athletic Indianapolis Teachers Club, and most likely to participate, a few teams, not allowed to compete in The Trojans of the Social Service schools had black athletes on their IHSAA tournaments, developed a League. football teams as well. In 1932, cadre of competitors by broadening During the 1927-28 season, the there was one black player on the their schedules to include “col Senate Avenue YMCA team, par Elkhart team and four on the East ored” teams from some distance. ticipating in the Mid-West States Chicago Washington team.8 Illustrative of this point is the fol Conference, played a schedule that In