On Dec. 11, 2015, hundreds of state and official bicentennial flags were hauled up flagpoles toward the sky as millions of Hoosiers celebrated Indiana’s 199th birthday. As 2016 has begun, the Indiana Bicentennial Commission — composed of 15 individuals appointed by former Gov. Mitch Daniels in December 2011 — has spent the past four years planning service projects, programs and events to help all residents celebrate 200 years of growth and history.
“Indiana’s bicentennial offers something for every Hoosier,” said Perry Hammock, executive director of the Indiana Bicentennial Commission. “The commission has approved more than 850 legacy projects statewide, ensuring that our bicentennial year will leave a lasting impact on Indiana.”
One of the major goals of the celebration of Indiana’s bicentennial in 2016 is to truly unite Hoosiers from all walks of life and to educate them on the state’s past and future.
“I wrote a lot about African-American history in Indiana and for a long time, the default in Indiana was white, but we now know that just wasn’t true. There was history, but many of us on the commission and off the commission were very insistent that this celebration includes all Hoosiers,” said Jim Madison, Bicentennial Commission member and historian.
One of the ways the commission intends to bring people together is through Legacy Projects — programs reflecting the state’s 200 years of progress. While there are more than 800 projects taking place across the state in all of Indiana’s 92 counties, many are happening in Indianapolis.
Filmmaker Ted Green, in conjunction with WFYI Public Media, will showcase, “The School that Opened a City,” a new documentary highlighting legendary Crispus Attucks High School.
“I found out basketball wasn’t the true story,” said Green in a previous interview with the Indianapolis Recorder. “There is more to Attucks than basketball that doesn’t get talked about. I think Attucks is a community school and is a great reflection of Indianapolis in the 20th century. I just told myself then and there, if I ever got a chance to take a stab at this, I would have to do it right.”
The two-hour documentary will follow the story of Indianapolis’ only school designed for Blacks that was built to separate, isolate and to fail, however with the support of administrators and community leaders, the school thrived in an ever-evolving city. The film is set to premiere August 2016.
Another Bicentennial Legacy Project is the Mary Bateman Clark project. Declared the Rosa Parks of her time, Clark was born a slave and brought to Indiana, where she sued one of the area’s most significant leaders in the early 1800s. Her lawsuit and subsequent appeal affirmed Indiana’s legal standing on slavery and indentured servitude. As part of the project, Clark’s great-great-great-granddaughters, Eunice Trotter and Ethel McCane, offer an overview and re-enactment of the case to audiences statewide.
Today, the Bicentennial Commission has endorsed more than 740 Legacy projects.
“(In 2014) we had 75 projects in 35 counties, and now we have projects in all 92 counties, and we do that by going out and spending time with people. We find projects people are already doing and find out how it can fit into the bicentennial or help them start a new project,” said Hammock.
Although more than 60 government agencies have agreed to partner with the Bicentennial Commission, including the Indiana Department of Correction, non-governmental agencies like United Way, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be involved as well.
“Many things are happening at the state level and with government agencies, but most of all I’m proud things are happening in Indiana, in all 92 counties,” said Madison. “People who care about their communities and places are organizing and forming groups and projects. This is exactly what the commission wanted from the beginning, this grassroots connection.”
If residents aren’t interested in completing service projects, they are encouraged to simply attend the various events centered around four key pillars: nature and conservation, historical celebration, community involvement and youth and education. A variety of signature events will take place on various dates throughout the year, such as the highly anticipated Bicentennial Torch Relay, when an Olympic-style torch will make a 2,300-mile journey across the state traveling through 92 counties; the Bicentennial Celebration Gala and Hoosier Homecoming. On a smaller scale, residents are invited to check out events such as “A Land Enchanted: The Golden Age of Indiana Art,” a collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures at the Indianapolis Museum of Art; Bicentennial Bazaar held at the Indianapolis City Market or the Peace Learning Center’s 19th annual Martin Luther King Community Festival.
“We want to ensure we leave a legacy; it’s not just about the parties and events, but how the future benefits from this celebration,” Hammock said. “We know the real legacy of the bicentennial is children. We hope to have 800 to 1,000 projects that are in schools, parks, museums and all places across the state. We hope that variety helps people feel a part of the bicentennial.”
To learn more about the Indiana Bicentennial or to find events in your area, visit IN.gov/ibc.
