INDIANAPOLIS — More than 100 oral history interviews documenting the experiences, memories, and community histories of Black Hoosiers are now accessible through the Indiana Landmarks Black Heritage Preservation Program’s growing digital oral history collection. The initiative is supported by a $100,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation, conducted in collaboration with the Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement.
Working with local partners and volunteers, Indiana Landmarks Black Heritage Preservation Program has conducted oral history harvests in seven Indiana communities — Clarksville, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Lafayette, Princeton, Vincennes, and Washington — recording more than 100 interviews to date. During these community-based events, residents are invited to share their personal experiences, family histories, and perspectives through recorded interviews.
The resulting collection is preserved and made accessible through Indiana Memory, a digital archive maintained by the Indiana State Library. The archive also serves as a gateway to oral history collections created by organizations including the Indiana Historical Society, Ball State University, the Harrison Center, and others, creating a centralized resource for researchers, students, genealogists, and anyone interested in Indiana’s Black history.
In addition to documenting individual experiences, the collection helps create a record of historically significant Black communities and places across Indiana. Indiana Landmarks Black Heritage Preservation Program plans to use oral histories to support future historical marker applications, National Register nominations, and other preservation initiatives that connect personal stories to physical sites.
Oral histories recorded by Indiana Landmarks Black Heritage Preservation Program are available at: https://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16066coll84
The Indiana Memory Black Heritage Oral History Collection is available online at: https://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16066coll84/search