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Black History News & Notes BLACK HISTORY NEWS & NOTES AUGUST 1996__________ NUMBER 65 W. E. B. DuBois at Your Public Library by Arthur S. Meyers William Edward Burghardt DuBois achieved prominence as a historian and sociologist, forged a biracial coalition into the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, edited its widely read publication The Crisis, worked tirelessly for Pan Africanism, and created the framework for the liter­ ary and artistic flowering of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s. We should be thankful for one more contribution by DuBois. He saved a huge amount, if not all, of W. E. B. DuBois (standing and center) Indianapolis Recorder Collection, IHS his correspondence and other docu­ C7044. ments. From an Arizona farmer’s inquiry about agricultural possibili­ use at a public library. The index is Muncie. Other correspondents in­ ties in Haiti to the scholar-activist’s limited, comprising mostly promi­ cluded Hale Woodruff (artist and own medical report, from civil nent people and major activities in Indianapolis Young Men’s Christian rights complaints throughout the DuBois’s life. It does not reveal cor­ Association membership secretary); United States to exchanges with respondence with a wide range of A. D. Whitlock in Gary concerning leaders in all comers of the globe, individuals—that information can a photograph and biography for use DuBois's life and work are before o.nly be obtained by exploring the in The Crisis', Lillian Atkins in us. microfilm reels. Elkhart regarding a talk in that city; DuBois always responded to his The reels covering 1925 and 1926 Ella Clay, 828 N. Capitol Avenue correspondents promptly, briefly, contain a treasure trove of Indiana in Indianapolis about a lecture; and clearly, keeping a carbon copy. letters. There is correspondence Flossie Baker Alexander in Gary; His correspondence is preserved on with F. E. DeFrantz on a possible Elizabeth Bradshaw in Brazil con­ microfilm at the University of Mas­ lecture in Indianapolis; W. Cook, cerning a lecture; G. N. T. Gray, 431 sachusetts at Amherst. The result is 1828 Broadway in Gary (thanking N. Blackford Street in Indianapolis 80 reels of correspondence and him for his hospitality, perhaps as a regarding a possible speech; and an original documents and a printed result of a speech); Alva Taylor of Indiana University professor seek­ index of The W.E.B. DuBois Papers the Church of Christ in Indianapo­ ing funds for a student. are accessible through interlibrary lis; National Association of Negro Still other letters discuss possible loan. Musicians; Lionel Artis, 450 Sen­ appearances in Wabash, French Once the year(s) of interest has ate Avenue in Indianapolis (sent a Lick, New Albany, East Chicago, been determined through the printed fictional sketch for DuBois’s re­ index, the reels can be borrowed for view); and D. E. McGoodwin in (Continued on page 8) BHNN_1996-08_NO65 conference will be held at the Historical Happenings Francis Marion Hotel, 387 King Street, Charleston, SC 29403. For additional information, please con­ tact ASALH, 1407 14th Street, N. W., Washington, D. C. 20005; Tele­ Call for Papers ASALH Conference phone #: 202-667-2822. The National Association of Af­ The Association for the Study of rican-American Studies (NAAAS) Afro-American Life and History is accepting abstracts, not to exceed (ASALH) will sponsor its 81st an­ AAHGS Conference two pages, for sessions, panels, and nual conference from 2-6 October The Afro-American Historical individual papers, relating to Afri­ 1996 in Charleston, South Carolina. and Genealogical Society, Inc. will can-American experiences in the This year’s theme, “African-Ameri­ host its annual conference from 31 United States and abroad. Papers can Women: Yesterday, Today and October to 2 November 1996 in from all disciplines are encouraged. Tomorrow,” will be addressed in Washington, D. C. The conference Papers will be read at NAAAS’s several sessions including the hotel will be the Marriott at the national conference to be held 11- Thursday afternoon plenary session Metro Center (Telephone #: 800- 15 February 1997 in Houston, entitled “Southern Black Women’s 228-9298). There will be computer Texas. Individual papers must be History,” and sessions on Mary sessions, vendors with genealogical presented in no more than twenty- McLeod Bethune’s social and po­ wares, and a book mart. A State of five minutes. Send abstracts to litical influence, invisible history of the Society address and a reception Lemuel Berry, Jr., Executive Direc­ black women, and free black women are scheduled for Thursday evening; tor, NAAAS, Morehead State Uni­ during the slave era. Other session a sharing dinner on Friday; and a versity, 212 Rader Hall, Morehead, topics include Indiana University banquet on Saturday. For informa­ KY 40351-1689; Telephone, 606- and the Blacks in the Diaspora Se­ tion about conference sessions, 783-2650 and Fax, 606-783-5046. ries, miscegenation, civil rights, re­ please contact AAHGS at P. O. Box The deadline for abstracts is 5 De­ form leaders, and using technologies 73086, Washington, D. C. 20056- cember 1996. in African-American Studies. The 3086. Black History News and Notes is a quarterly publication of the Indiana Historical Society Library. Intended in part to highlight the activities of the library’s Black History Program, it is issued during the months of February, May, August, and November. Essential to the Black History Program’s success is community involvement and commitment to the study of Indiana’s African-American heritage. Along with Black History News and Notes, membership also includes the quarterly Indiana Magazine of History, published at Indiana University; The Bridge, the Indiana Historical Society’s bi-monthly newsletter; and many of the special publications as they are issued —all for only $30.00 a year. To become a member or for further information, write the Indiana Historical Society, 315 West Ohio Street, Indianapolis, Indiana INDIANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION (Please make membership in one name only) Name _____________________________________ Address ___________________________ City _______________ State_______________ Zip_______________ Occupation______ Membership Categories (Check One) 0 Student $10 (Under 26 years old) 0 Annual $30 0 Sustaining $50 1 wish to receive the following publications (please check all those that you wish to receive): ____ Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History, a popular history magazine. ____ Indiana Magazine of History, a scholarly journal ____ The Hoosier Genealogist, a family history publication ____ Black History News & Notes, a Hoosier African American history newsletter Signature_____________________________________________________ Date________________________________________ 2 Indianapolis and the Great Migration, 1900-1920 by Carolyn Brady Introduction every ten years, does not provide in­ African-Americans arriving from In the first decades of the twenti­ formation on when migration to In­ the South in the early 1900s found eth century, the number of African- dianapolis peaked between census an established black community Americans in Indianapolis more years, but the city’s African-Ameri­ with churches, businesses, and so­ than doubled, growing from 15,931 can population increased by 5,885 cial organizations. Indianapolis had in 1900 to 34,678 in 1920. This in­ between 1900 and 1910 and by three black-run weekly newspapers crease was a result of the Great Mi­ 12,862 between 1910 and 1920. by 1900, the Freeman, the Recorder, gration, the movement of large num­ The rate of growth of the black and the World. In 1901 the Recorder bers of African-Americans from the population between 1900 and 1910 published a directory of African- South to the North in search of work (37 percent) was comparable to the American businesses in its Christ­ and opportunity. Indianapolis did growth of the city’s overall popula­ mas issue. The listing included res­ not see as great an influx of new ar­ tion in this decade (38 percent), but taurants, hotels, and grocery stores, rivals as did cities such as Detroit the increase of the black population as well as barbers, physicians, den­ and Chicago, but the growth of the between 1910 and 1920 (59 percent) tists, lawyers, dealers in coal, ice, black population would change life was significantly greater than that oil, and junk, and a clairvoyant. in the Hoosier capital.1 of the city population as a whole (35 The relatively high percentage of African-Americans in southern percent).3 African-American residents in In­ states heard about opportunities in Proportionally this growth was dianapolis also gave black voters a the North through labor recruiters, not as dramatic a change as was wit­ certain amount of political clout. black-run newspapers, relatives, and nessed by other northern cities Ray Stannard Baker, one of the pio­ friends. Besides the lure of jobs in where the African-American popu­ neers of “muckraking” journalism the North, a number of factors lations more than doubled in the during the Progressive Era, visited pushed many African-Americans to decade around World War I. Large the city in the early 1900s while re­ leave the South. Between 1900 and cities attracted more newcomers, searching race relations in the 1920 natural disasters in the South, and Chicago’s black population in­ United States because he “had heard such as floods, drought, and boll creased by over 65,000 (148 per­ so much of the political power of weevils, destroyed the crops that cent). Detroit, which offered jobs the Negroes there.”6 African- many African-American farmers de­ in the auto industry, had its black American candidates participated in pended on for their livelihood. Al­ population grow by over 35,000 city elections, and at least two black though racial segregation and dis­ (611 percent) between 1910 and residents, John A. Puryear and crimination existed in northern 1920.4 Sumner A. Fumiss, were elected to states like Indiana, the Jim Crow In contrast to many northern cit­ the city council.
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