Episode 8: Uncovering Black Heritage in Knox County and Beyond

In this episode of Our Indiana: Stories from Rural Hoosiers, host Denny Spinner travels to Vincennes, Indiana, to speak with Eunice Trotter, director of the Indiana Landmarks Black Heritage Preservation Program, and local historian Tom Bartholomew. Together, they explore the deep and often overlooked history of Black communities in Knox County and across Indiana.

They discuss the origins and evolution of the Black Heritage Preservation Program, the power of oral histories, and the grassroots efforts to digitize and share long-buried records. From freedom suits filed decades before the Civil War to the first Black woman to vote in Indiana, this episode reveals how local stories shape our collective past.

Tune in to hear how communities are reclaiming their history, why preserving uncomfortable truths is essential for healing, and how this work is inspiring a new generation of historians and changemakers.