The Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy is hosting a special program on Free Summers Sunday featuring notable black Knox County citizens from both the past and the present.
The museum is open from 12 pm – 5 pm.
Vincennes/Knox County Tourism, First City Public Sculpture Project and Wabash Valley Progressives are hosting a Books and Brews event to discuss “Black in Indiana” by Eunice Brewer-Trotter at 7 p.m. Feb 23 at Vincennes Brewing Company. This an informal gathering for everyone, where we’ll just discuss the book. People are invited to come, even if they’re curious, (even, yes, if you didn’t quite finish the book before the meeting.) Here’s a description:
“Life for Blacks in Southern Indiana in the 1820s could be brutal, but Mary Bateman Clark’s victorious lawsuit helped advance change. This book is a must-read which looks beyond typical stories about slavery. Book includes genealogical information about numerous African American families in Knox County, Indiana before 1820.”
The library has a copy, it’s available free with Kindle Unlimited and Audible, and here’s an Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Indiana-Eunice-Brewer-Trotter/dp/B08PHWFH54.
The Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy (RSM) invites visitors to explore the stories of Black Hoosiers who broke ground for their community and paved a path for future generations while making contributions to Indiana. Exhibits and events will include a traveling exhibit from the Indiana Historical Society (IHS). The exhibit, “Groundbreaking Black Hoosiers,” will be open to the public February 28 – March 26, 2023, during regular museum hours, at Red Skelton Museum, located at 20 Red Skelton Blvd. in Vincennes, IN.
In Addition to the IHS exhibit, the RSM will showcase “Red Skelton’s Groundbreaking Black Entertainers” from February 14 – April 2, 2023, which will present the history of black entertainment by way of Red Skelton’s stage, movie, and television career. Red Skelton has appeared with many groundbreaking black entertainers from his early-stage years to his television show. These include: Bill Robinson, Mills Brothers, Leana Horne, Mahalia Jackson, Supremes, and others. Movie clips and photos from the television archives are on display.
The Red Skelton Museum will offer free admission on Sunday, March 5th and will host a special program on Groundbreaking Black Citizens in Knox County from 1-3 PM.
Although the stories in “Groundbreaking Black Hoosiers” are far from an encyclopedic look at Black excellence or accomplishment, they present a compelling example of the important role Black people have played in Hoosier history, a role that has too often been erased.
Here is a glimpse at some of the people highlighted in this exhibit:
“Groundbreaking Black Hoosiers” is made possible by a generous grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
For more information or to plan your visit, call 812-888-4184 or visit RedSkeltonMuseum.org
The museum will have special episodes on YouTube featuring black entertainers every Tuesday. Go to the Red Skelton Museum site on YouTube or find the link on the museum’s Facebook page.
of Vincennes and Knox County with a glimpse of history at every turn.
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