During the month of October, several Indiana organizations will be celebrating the state’s rich, yet often overlooked, African American history. Due to Indiana’s strategic location in the movement of people escaping slavery in the South, we have a unique historical importance for African Americans – and two upcoming conferences will highlight that. The Progressive Journey Conference will be held in Jeffersonville from Oct. 12 to 14, and the National Black Genealogy Summit will take place in Fort Wayne from Oct. 20-22.
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The Progressive Journey Conference is designed for “history buffs, scholars, lovers of black history, and anyone interested in African American culture,” and will feature a variety of thought-provoking sessions such as “African American Entrepreneurship Throughout History” and “Who Will Preserve Indiana’s African American Heritage?” The conference is associated with the Indiana African American Heritage Trail, which is a program of the Southern Indiana Minority Enterprise Initiative. The conference will take place Oct. 12-14 in Jeffersonville. For more information, and to register for the conference, visit the website here.
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The National Black Genealogy Summit (Oct. 20-22) combines Indiana’s strong African American history with Fort Wayne’s world renowned Genealogy Center, located at the Allen County Public Library (ACPL). The theme of this year’s summit is “African Diaspora: Awakening Our Legacy,” and will certainly address that theme through prestigious genealogy scholars, authors, speakers, and artists. All events and sessions will be held at the ACPL and the Grand Wayne Convention Center. For those who are particularly inspired by event, extended research hours will be offered exclusively to conference attendees. Click here for registration and additional information.
