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Volume 130Number 40Two SectionsINDIANAPOLIS RECORDER USPS (262-660)Published weekly by: The George P. Stewart Printing Co., Inc., P.O. Box 18499, 2901 N. Tacoma Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46218. Periodicals postage paid at Indianapolis, IN.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Indianapolis Recorder, P.O. Box 18499, 2901 N. Tacoma Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46218.Subscription price by mail or carrier: $39 per year; $19.50 for 6 mos.,75 cents per copy. National advertising representative: Amalgamated Publishers Inc., 45 W. 45th St., New York, NY 10036. Member: National Newspaper Publishers Association, Central Indiana Publishers Association, Hoosier State Press Association. SUBSCRIBERS BY MAIL: We are not responsible for replacing issues missed due to change of address or late renewals. Please allow two weeks when placing a new subscription or change of address order. Call (317) 924-5143.Follow Us!@indyrecorder2025Friday, October 3, 202575 cents1895 130th ANNIVERSARYIndiana%u2019s Greatest Weekly NewspaperSince 1895Preparing a conscious community today and beyondwww.indianapolisrecorder.com130th ANNIVERSARYSee TYLENOL, A7%u00a8By HANNA RAUWORTHhannar@indyrecorder.comPresident Donald Trump on Sept. 22 announced a government effort tying acetaminophen (Tylenol) use during pregnancy to autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions and urged people to avoid the drug.The announcement %u2014 which also promoted the vitamin derivative leucovorin as a possible treatment for some autism symptoms and questioned childhood vaccine schedules %u2014 drew immediate pushback from major medical groups and autism researchers.What the White House saidThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration said recent studies show an association between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and later diagnoses of autism or ADHD, and the FDA said it has begun the process to change acetaminophen labeling and notified clinicians of the evidence. In the FDA news release, Commissioner Marty Makary said, %u201cThe FDA is taking action to make parents and doctors aware of a considerable body of evidence about potential risks associated with acetaminophen.%u201d The agency also emphasized that a causal link has not been established and that acetaminophen is the only over-the-counter drug approved to treat fever in pregnancy. Responses from the medical fi eldObstetric and maternal-fetal medicine societies and autism research organizations uniformly urged caution about drawing firm conclusions from the existing research. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) said, %u201cSuggestions that acetaminophen use in pregnancy causes autism are not only highly concerning to clinicians but TRUMP LINKS TYLENOL TO AUTISMMedical groups say evidence is weakchloegm@indyrecorder.comBy CHLOE McGOWAN%u00a0%u201cPromised Land as Proving Ground%u201d may seem long overdue to some, but at least it%u2019s telling a fuller story of Black Hoosiers.The Recorder first covered this exhibit in August 2023, before Conner Prairie had finished construction on the last two cabins. Last month, we were invited back to walk through it now that it had been open to the public for a few months. I went with our photographer, Mia Moore, and what we saw exceeded our expectations.This isn%u2019t a review, per se, just an honest observation about what this exhibit is offering up at Conner Prairie. We know some of our readers may remember the first-hand account detailing the %u201cFollow the North Star%u201d exhibit that ran several years ago. The folks up at Conner Prairie do too.%u00a0This is not that, I promise.Beginning in Pre-colonial Africa and extending to present-day America, %u201cPromised Land as Proving Ground%u201d is Conner Prairie%u2019s newest permanent walk-through experience. The exhibit officially opened to the public earlier this spring and has since undergone a few slight changes.%u00a0At the entrance to Prairie Town sits a new sign. It%u2019s a nod to the expectations for guests to both protect the integrity of the history and protect the actors. These have always been the expectations, Exhibit Developer Allison Cosbey said, but now Conner Prairie is saying them out loud.%u201cPromised Land as Proving Ground%u201d is not %u201csegregated from Prairie Town,%u201d Cosbey said. Guests can wander in and out of the four new cabins and explore the other buildings, engage with the actors and participate in hands-on activities all in one stop.The garden is the first stop before the Origins Cabin, and Cosbey said Gardens Expert Michelle Evans worked with the Indianapolis Garden Club to plant and grow produce, herbs, and spices that were brought over from Africa during the trans-Atlantic slave trade.%u201cUnfortunately, slavery existed back then but I love that the story is empowering,%u201d Hyacinth Rucker, senior manager of public relations and communications, said. %u201cIt doesn%u2019t stop at slavery, right? It keeps going, and it%u2019s showing all of what Black people have done in between the 20th and 21st century.%u201d%u201cPromised Land as Proving Ground%u201d is not like any of the other exhibits or experiences the living history museum has offered before. The exhibition took a community-first approach, seeking insight, inspiration and feedback from well-known and trusted leaders, artists, churches and organizations.Charlene Fletcher and Clarence Newsome curated the exhibit with help and input from the Indiana Historical Society, Indianapolis Garden Club, Witherspoon Presbyterian Church, Asante Art Institute, Anthony %u201cBaba Tony%u201d Artis and more.%u00a0%u201cThere%u2019s a through line of faith, and each of those faiths is looking at a promised land in the afterlife of some kind,%u201d Cosbey said. %u201cBut of course, folks need a promised land while they%u2019re living too %u2013 a place to be free, a place to be happy. So, it%u2019s the idea of the Northwest Territory, and later Indiana, could it be that promised land of freedom?%u201dThe story is spread out among four cabins %u2014 Origins, Resistance, Reclamation and Reflections %u2014 and details the significance food, family, faith and fellowship had in the lives of those who made the journey from Africa, settled in Indiana and paved the way for their descendants in modern-day America.%u00a0Each cabin features a five-minute video with illustrations by Braintwins and narration by voices from the community %u2014 including Maria Abegunde of IU Bloomington, Natoya %u201cChef Oya%u201d Woodruff and Charlie Asante-Doyle.%u00a0The story begins in the Origins Cabin. It%u2019s plain, reminiscent of a plantation slave cabin, and the video takes viewers back to the continent of Africa.The Resistance Cabin is painted haint blue as a symbolic nod to the spiritual connection Indiana%u2019s Black settlers had. The walls are adorned with roots and portraits of By NORAL PARHAMnoralp@indyrecorder.comWhen seventh grader Alaya entered the upgraded weight room at Northwest Middle School for the first time on Sept. 24, her eyes lit up with excitement.%u201cI think this new weight room is much better than our old one,%u201d Alaya told the Indianapolis Recorder. %u201cIt has new stuff that will make us more stronger and more fit.%u201dAlaya%u2019s reaction echoed the sentiment of students, staff and community members who gathered to celebrate the ribbon-cutting of the school%u2019s newly renovated fitness center. The transformation, made possible through a partnership between Elevance Health and the Impact Fitness Foundation, turns a dated, intimidating space into a bright, modern facility designed specifically for middle school athletes.The project, which involved more than 40 Elevance Health volunteers, includes new flooring, functional training equipment sized for younger students, an organized storage system and a 50-foot-long turf strip for agility drills. The renovation addresses a long-standing issue: the weight room still contained high school-level equipment from decades ago, which was largely inaccessible and unsafe for middle schoolers.For Athletic Director Moshfilay McClain-Anderson, who has been at Northwest since 1999, the reveal was an emotional capstone to years of gradual improvement at the school.%u201cOh, my God, it was absolutely amazing to just see the electricity on the students%u2019 faces,%u201d McClain-Anderson said. %u201cI think that even gave me more of a drive to go harder for them and make sure that they have what they need %u2026 an environment that they can thrive in.%u201dMcClain-Anderson emphasized that the new space is more than just a collection of equipment. %u201cThis represents an opportunity for growth and investment in our students,%u201d McClain-Anderson said. %u201cIt%u2019s a place where students can build confidence, develop healthy habits and push themselves to reach their full potential. It reflects our commitment to supporting their physical, social and emotional well-being.%u201dThe need for an age-appropriate space was a key motivator before. Promised Land as Proving Ground takes visitors on a walk through Black history in Indiana Telling the %u2018whole story%u2019 of Black HoosiersSweating for success: Northwest Middle School unveils new fitness centerSee CENTER, A5%u00a8 See STORY, A7%u00a8Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. looks on as President Donald Trump makes announcements on autism in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on Sept. 22, 2025. (Photo/Francis Chung, AP)Impact Fitness Foundation%u2019s Chris Welsh speaking with students following the unveiling of the new weight room/fi tness center at Northwest Middle School. (Photo/David Dixon)%u201cPromised Land as Proving Grounds,%u201d a new permanent exhibit, opened at Conner Prairie earlier this spring. (Photos/Mia Moore)