A DIFFERENT COLOR OF SKIN gives stories of African-Americans is compli- you a different perspective on Indiana’s cated. “It’s a question of ambiguity; it’s past 200 years. In this bicentennial year, a question of difficulty. Even in the 21st it’s important to incorporate and honor century, race is still a difficult subject,” he that perspective and the extraordinary con- says. “The stories are there, but are un- tributions that African-Americans have heard.” Yet placing African-Americans made to Indiana in politics, law, education, into the mosaic of Indiana history is entertainment, sports, business, and the essential to fully understanding Hoosier everyday work of serving community and culture today. “Once you crank those family — often achieved only by overcoming stories into the picture, the whole story vicious and systemic racism. changes,” says Madison. Indiana’s preeminent historian James Here is an overview of some of those H. Madison, an Indiana University profes- stories and their impact. —the editor sor emeritus, says revealing the oft-veiled The Levi Coffin house in Wayne County where more than 2,000 fugitive slaves found refuge. Courtesy photo The Underground Railroad Black History Bloomington was a stop on the Under- IN ground Railroad, a network of secret routes and safe houses used by slaves to escape to Canada and to free states in the North. Local Covenanters (a Scottish Presbyterian movement that opposed slavery) helped escaped slaves, as did black men and women in Blooming- ton. African-American barber Knolly Baker aided fugitives transported from IN DIANA Washington, Indiana, by his son-in-law, A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE William Hawkins. A fearless woman known as Aunty Myrears gave sanctuary By Douglas Wissing Mary Bateman Clark’s 20-year servitude to many refugees in her home on what Art by Shannon Zahnle contract, ruling it was wholly illegal as is now South Rogers Street. Given the she was being held “as a slave.” Clark and Fugitive Slave Law, these were auda- When Indiana moved to statehood in 1816, her husband, Samuel, had 12 children, 49 cious acts, and could have resulted in six there were already African-American slaves grandchildren, and 74 great-grandchildren. months imprisonment and a $1,000 fine, and involuntarily bound servants within its Clark also helped found Vincennes’s first and the rewards for capture motivated borders. It took two brave black women in black church, serving as a leader until her Monroe County’s active slave catchers. Vincennes — Polly, daughter of a slave, and death in 1845. Mary Bateman Clark, an indentured servant Despite these two victories for freedom, Black settlements in Indiana — to break the bonds with legal challenges. racist laws continued to be passed in the By 1860, Indiana had a considerable Winning two landmark Indiana Supreme state. An 1831 law required that an African- African-American population, mostly WCourt decisions in 1820 and 1821, the women American settling in Indiana post a bond gathered in their own thriving communi- contributed both unassailable legal prec- against becoming a public ward. Article XIII ties. At least 30 African-American farm- edents and higher moral standards to the of Indiana’s 1851 Constitution prohibited ing settlements dotted the state, such as young state. black migration into the state, and required Lyles Station, established near Princeton In one case, the justices ruled that the Hoosier African-Americans to enroll in the on 1,200 acres; Lick Creek near Paoli’s state constitution unequivocally prohibited onerous Negro Registers. As well, blacks Quaker community; and black settle- slavery, freeing Polly (who later won $25.16 couldn’t attend public schools, vote, serve in ments founded in abolitionist Wayne in damages from her former master). In the the militia, or testify against or marry white County, home of Underground Railroad second decision, the justices struck down people. leader Levi Coffin, who was white. 116 Bloom | February/March 2016 | magbloom.com magbloom.com | February/March 2016 | Bloom 117 After the Civil War, Hoosier African-Americans increasingly his extraordinary teams, led by the gifted Robertson brothers, Bailey lived in cities and towns, including Bloomington, where the original and Oscar, changed the African-American narrative with their fabled black neighborhood was on the east side, from Kirkwood to 10th 1950s winning seasons. Even when they were “five-on-seven,” play- Street and from Dunn to Lincoln streets. It was a vibrant community ing both the opposing team and racist referees, the Crispus Attucks that included a segregated black school, Center School, at 6th and Tigers were noted for sportsmanship and class. One of the stars of Washington streets; black churches; and a black pool hall. the 1951 Attucks team, Bob Jewell, went on to become Eli Lilly’s first black scientist. A lynch mob in Bloomington The Crispus Attucks teams opened the door for a long line of black There were racial tensions. On Saturday night, October 6, 1906, a Hoosier basketball stars, from IU’s All-American Bill Garrett, who lynch mob of 400 thronged outside the Bloomington jail yelling, broke the Big Ten color line before taking over Attucks’ coaching from “Hang him, hang him.” Black hod carrier “Spunk” Jones was accused Ray Crowe, to NBA players George McGinnis, Steve Downing, Shawn of shooting white lunch wagon owner Al Stevens to death on West Kemp, and Bloomington’s Jared Jeffries, the great-great-grandson of Kirkwood. Swelled by IU students returning from the Purdue-IU a freed slave who purchased land from the Covenanters. football game, the crowd demanded vigilante justice. Not long after Marshall “Major” Taylor was another celebrated Indiana-born three lawmen rushed Jones to safety in Martinsville, Indiana, the black athlete, breaking down racial barriers to set numerous world mob invaded the jail and battered the iron doors with a railroad tie. records in track cycling. In 1899, he won the world championship in The business district and Indiana University expanded in the early the one-mile bicycle sprint — a popular sport of the day. 1900s, pressuring the east-side African-American neighborhood. Charlie Wiggins was the daring “Negro Speed King” in car-crazy Black renters were evicted as real estate developers bought out Afri- 1930s Indianapolis. Undeterred by the racism that barred him from can-American owners, such as Samuel S. Dargan, the IU Law Library the Indianapolis 500, Wiggins organized the Colored Speedway As- curator who’d earned an LL.B. in 1909. African-Americans found sociation with its wildly popular Gold and Glory Sweepstakes, which themselves redlined into the neighborhood west of Rogers Street. he won four times. Also a highly skilled mechanic with his own south- “There was not a realtor in town who’d show us anywhere else side garage, Wiggins disguised himself as a janitor so he could secretly but there,” says Betty Bridgewaters. “People think that was the work on white driver Bill Cummings’ car at the Indy 500 and help him Dark Ages, but that wasn’t so long ago.” A member of the prominent win the race in 1934. Eagleson-Bridgewaters family, she knows the long, complex history of local African-Americans. The legacy of Indiana Avenue Undeterred by the redlining, the African-American community Black Hoosier musicians helped transform American music. embraced their new west-side neighborhood. The men worked at Indianapolis-born Noble Sissle was an early luminary, performing on the nearby Showers Brothers Furniture Factory, in construction, vaudeville and Broadway stages and recording widely. His long col- and at the Monon Railroad yards, as well as in service and retail jobs. laboration with songwriter Eubie Blake yielded hits such as “I’m Just Some started restaurants; others operated barbershops, such as H. V. Wild about Harry.” Classically trained Crispus Attucks music teach- Eagleson, who moved to Bloomington to educate his children. Geor- ers such as LaVerne Newsome, Norman Merrifield, and Russell W. gia Deal was an early female entrepreneur, in 1919 becoming the first Brown carried the legacy forward, engendering an entire generation of several local black beauticians. of world-class musicians, many of whom performed on Indianapolis’ The black school moved, too. Founded in 1916 as a segregated famous Indiana Avenue. institution, the Banneker School on West 7th Street had three Lined with jazz clubs, restaurants, cafés, and theaters, Indiana classrooms where children in different grades took turns with the Avenue nurtured some of the 20th century’s greatest jazz musicians, teacher. Noted black educator T. C. Johnson initially led Banneker. including trombonist J.J. Johnson, Wes Montgomery, and orchestra After receiving his master’s degree from IU, Johnson administered leader Reginald DuValle, who tutored young Hoagy Carmichael in “There was not a realtor in town who would show us anywhere but there [west of traditionally black Southern colleges before returning to teach at improvisation and musical technique. IU Jacobs School of Music Rogers Street],” says Betty Bridgewaters. Photo by Shannon Zahnle Indianapolis’ segregated Crispus Attucks High School. distinguished professor David Baker (see page 108) was another Attucks-trained jazz master who honed his sound in Indiana Avenue Crispus Attucks — A school like no other jam sessions. Coffin harbored more than 2,000 fugitive slaves, including the With its degree-spangled faculty that included doctors, lawyers, famous William Bush, who was so determined to escape slavery that and pioneering black officers of the United States Army, Air Force, (top to bottom) In 1899, Indiana’s he shipped himself to Coffin in a wooden box. When he emerged, his and Navy, Crispus Attucks set new standards for African-American Marshall “Major” Taylor won the world bushy hair inspired his new, post-slave surname. Bush became a suc- academic excellence.