Program created to identify and save Indiana’s Black historic sites

A new program highlights Black heritage sites in Indiana in hopes these places can qualify for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Indiana Landmarks’ Black Heritage Preservation Program aims to identify and celebrate these historic sites that are often omitted from the state’s history books. Longtime historian and journalist Eunice Trotter is director of the program. She said it is crucial that relevant Black sites throughout Indiana are remembered.

“Too often the historic imprint of black people has been rendered invisible in our historical records,” Trotter said.  “So much of my work will be about combating erasure and the loss of Black history and heritage, which is American heritage.”

Neighborhood involvement in saving these sites, Trotter said, plays a huge role.

“Every preservation effort starts more or less by people in the community. And if people in the community don't see the importance and significance of these sites to start the process, for preserving them for restoring them for remembering them, that history is going to be lost permanently,” Trotter said.

The public is encouraged to submit suggestions for preservation sites on the Indiana Landmarks website.

Contact WFYI All Things Considered newscaster and reporter Terri Dee at tdee@wfyi.org. Follow on Twitter: @terrideeisme.