Indiana Crossroads: Hoosier Civil Rights

Indiana's 28th Colored Infantry Regiment
"Major" Taylor Leads the Way

"I pray they will carry on in spite of that dreadful monster prejudice, and with patience, courage, fortitude and perseverance achieve success for themselves."
Indiana Avenue Historic District

Home to a vibrant black community and an internationally recognized jazz scene
Frederick Douglass Visits Indiana

In September 1843, Frederick Douglass and other speakers went to Madison County, Indiana to give a speech at a meeting at the Pendleton Baptist church.

Welcome to the Ball State University Hoosier Civil Rights Museum!

We are creating a virtual museum consisting of significant people, places and events related to Hoosiers’ roles in the nationwide progression of civil rights struggles and triumphs. Indiana contributed to broad streams of national civil rights history and developments in race relations; from the 1746 settlement of Vincennes, to the 1787 Ordinance banning slavery in the Northwest Territory, to free black settlements in the early 19th century and key Underground Railroad stops, to Robert Kennedy’s announcement of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination in Indianapolis.

With no statewide compendium of civil rights history, and available data widely dispersed, we are establishing a framework for organizing and distributing information about Hoosier civil rights history. We are building on the efforts of Indiana Landmarks and Indiana University, compiling information about Indiana’s civil rights history to begin populating our interactive, virtual museum with at least 100 sites. We are focusing on early free black settlements and 20th century sites that were crucial to the lead-up to the 1960s Civil Rights movement. Our approach is historical, anthropological, and archaeological, gathering the full range of information to paint a rich picture of the lives of individuals involved in the struggle for equality in the Hoosier state.

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Ronald V. Morris, Professor, Department of History, Ball State University (rvmorris@bsu.edu)
Dr. Kevin C. Nolan, Director and Senior Archaeologist, Applied Anthropology Laboratories, Ball State University (kcnolan@bsu.edu)
Christine Thompson, Assistant Director and Archaeologist, Applied Anthropology Laboratories, Ball State University (ckkeller2@bsu.edu)

This project is partially funded by the African American Civil Rights program of the Historic Preservation Fund, National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material do not constitute endorsement or necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior or U.S. Government.

Indiana Crossroads: Hoosier Civil Rights

Indiana's 28th Colored Infantry Regiment

"Major" Taylor Leads the Way

Indiana Avenue Historic District

Frederick Douglass Visits Indiana