Advancing Racial Equity Speakers Bureau
From histories of Black Hoosier communities, to discussions of policies that have disproportionately affected people of color, to celebrations of Black literature and art, the presentations in the Advancing Racial Equity (ARE) Speakers Bureau reveal how our past informs our present as we continually work toward racial equity.
About the Speakers Bureau
Attend a talk
We are excited to announce the 40 organizations hosting speakers in 2023-2024. For more information on the talk, including the date and location, contact the host site or peruse Indiana Humanities’ calendar of events.
| Organization | City | Speaker |
| Brick Street Poetry Inc. | Zionsville | Hard Topics, Soft Blows // Tony Jean Dickerson |
| Center for Ethics at the University of Indianapolis, Philosophy and Religion Department | Indianapolis | For Whose Protection?: Black Women and Confinement in the Late-19th Century // Charlene Fletcher |
| Marian University | Indianapolis | It’s Me. I’m the Problem: The Role of Personal Reflection in Antiracism Work // Charla Yearwood |
| The Community Learning Center | Kendallville | Black in Indiana // Eunice Trotter |
| Carnegie Center for Art & History | New Albany | Reviving a Forgotten Freetown: The Lives and Legacies of the US Colored Troops in Southeast Indianapolis // Kaila Austin |
| Peabody Public Library | Columbia City | Reviving a Forgotten Freetown: The Lives and Legacies of the US Colored Troops in Southeast Indianapolis // Kaila Austin |
| Vigo County Public Library | Terre Haute | Hard Topics, Soft Blows // Tony Jean Dickerson |
| Putnam County Public Library | Greencastle | Hoosier Heroes in the Struggle for Racial Justice // James H. Madison |
| Greater Muncie IN Habitat for Humanity | Muncie | History of Redlining: And Other Federal, State, and Local Policies That Shape & Reshape Indianapolis // Jordan Ryan |
| Carmel Clay Public Library | Carmel | Mirrors and Windows: Reading for & Beyond Empathy // Leah Milne |
| West Lafayette Public Library | West Lafayette | Hoosier Heroes in the Struggle for Racial Justice // James H. Madison |
| CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center | Terre Haute | Confronting Difficult Histories in Museums, Archives, and Historic Spaces // George Garner |
| Levi & Catharine Coffin State Historic Site (Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites) | Fountain City | Who was George Tompkins?: Exploring the Politics and Personhood of a Lynching Victim // Haley Brinker |
| Cross of Grace Lutheran Church | New Palestine | It’s Me. I’m the Problem: The Role of Personal Reflection in Antiracism Work // Charla Yearwood |
| Hamilton County Tourism, Inc. | Carmel | Confronting Difficult Histories in Museums, Archives, and Historic Spaces // George Garner |
| Butler University | Indianapolis | Happy 5th Birthday: Hair Discrimination Has No Age Limits // Jantina Anderson |
| Monroe County History Center | Bloomington | Hard Topics, Soft Blows // Tony Jean Dickerson |
| Indiana Historical Society | Indianapolis | Making Waves: Civil Rights and the South Bend Natatorium // George Garner |
| Marion County Bar Association | Indianapolis | Happy 5th Birthday: Hair Discrimination Has No Age Limits // Jantina Anderson |
| Lake Ridge New Tech School District | Gary | Black in Indiana // Eunice Trotter |
| Vincennes University | Vincennes | The Rise of Policing in Indiana // Leon Bates |
| Owen County Public Library | Spencer | For Whose Protection?: Black Women and Confinement in the Late-19th Century // Charlene Fletcher |
| Brownsburg Public Library | Brownsburg | Mirrors and Windows: Reading for & Beyond Empathy // Leah Milne |
| Franklin Central High School C.U.R.E. (Cultural Understanding for Racial Equity) Team | Indianapolis | The Plight of Afro Hair // Ladosha Wright |
| Saint Mary’s College | Notre Dame | Mirrors and Windows: Reading for & Beyond Empathy // Leah Milne |
| East Chicago Public Library | East Chicago | Hard Topics, Soft Blows // Tony Jean Dickerson |
| Elkhart County Historical Society | Bristol | How Do We Repair the History of City Planning? // Britt Redd |
| Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library | INDIANAPOLIS | How Do We Repair the History of City Planning? // Britt Redd |
| Morrisson-Reeves Library | Richmond | Happy 5th Birthday: Hair Discrimination Has No Age Limits // Jantina Anderson |
| Tandem Community Birth Center and Postpartum House, Inc | Bloomington | Hard Topics, Soft Blows // Tony Jean Dickerson |
| IU School of Social Work | Indianapolis | It’s Me. I’m the Problem: The Role of Personal Reflection in Antiracism Work // Charla Yearwood |
| Conner Prairie Museum Inc | Fishers | Reviving a Forgotten Freetown: The Lives and Legacies of the US Colored Troops in Southeast Indianapolis // Kaila Austin |
| Legacy Foundation | Merrillville | How Do We Repair the History of City Planning? // Britt Redd |
| Indy Arts Council | Indianapolis | Confronting Difficult Histories in Museums, Archives, and Historic Spaces // George Garner |
| Lake County Public Library | Merrillville | Happy 5th Birthday: Hair Discrimination Has No Age Limits // Jantina Anderson |
| Center for Inquiry at School 84 | Indianapolis | Confronting Our Legacy of Redlining // Mark Latta |
| Asante Art Institute of Indianapolis, Inc. | Indianapolis | The Many Lives of Zora Neale Hurston // Leah Milne |
| Michigan City Public Library | Michigan City | Black in Indiana // Eunice Trotter |
| Ball State University, Department of Women’s, Gender and African American Studies | Muncie | For Whose Protection?: Black Women and Confinement in the Late-19th Century // Charlene Fletcher |
How it works
Nonprofit Indiana organization can apply to host speakers from the speakers bureau catalog. If awarded, Indiana Humanities will pay the speaker’s fee ($400) directly. Host organizations agree to cover any travel costs requested by the speaker and to submit an event notification and final report to Indiana Humanities. A template agreement letter is provided by Indiana Humanities for hosts to use as they finalize the details of their event with the speaker, along with resources to get the word out, like posters and a template press release. In the current cycle, programs can begin any time after Sept.1, 2023 and we ask that all programs be completed by Dec. 31, 2024.
How to apply
Applications to host a speaker funded by Indiana Humanities are currently closed.
If your organization missed the chance to apply, or is not eligible to host a speaker funded by Indiana Humanities, you can still peruse our speaker catalog and contact your preferred speaker directly to negotiate rates, dates and other event information.
Resources for Hosting a Speakers Bureau Program
Are you hosting a speakers bureau program? These resources are designed to help you host a successful event!