Black History Month in Evansville: Unity Choir, Justice Pilgrimage and USI Events

WNIN | By Tim Jagielo

Published February 2, 2023 at 8:28 PM CST

Evansville African American Museum Executive Director Kori Miller stand amid the variety of interactive and educational exhibits of the museum, which celebrates the contributions of local African Americans, such ad contemporaries like Philip Lawrence. — Evansville African American Museum Executive Director Kori Miller stands amid the variety of interactive and educational exhibits of the museum, which celebrates the contributions of local African Americans, such as contemporaries like Philip Lawrence.

February is Black History month — one way to participate is to support non-profit organizations that enhance the African American community

Perhaps the largest Black History Month event is the “Unity Concert” on February 19. It’s at 5 p.m. at the Aiken Theatre of the Old National Events Plaza. It’s free, and will feature choirs from multiple church congregations from around the city.

“Some of the best singers from around the city will be a part of that choir,” said Kori Miller, Evansville African American Museum Executive Director.

“It's a mass choir; people participate from around the city who are interested in coming together in unity.”

If you would like to sing, sign up at unityconcertEVV.com.

“Black History Month is a time to actually celebrate the contributions of African Americans in this country,” Miller said. “And for the museum, primarily, we focus on those contributions made in this area of Evansville, Indiana, or more specifically in Baptist Town.”

In other events, a “Faith and Justice Pilgrimage” will be held on February 18 at the Evansville African American Museum, hosted by the Mount Olive Galilee Baptist Church and All Saint’s Parish.

Miller himself will speak at St. John's East church on February 26th at 9:30 a.m. for their Black history program.

Follow the museum’s Facebook for more information.

Miller stands beside a scale model of the former Lincoln Gardens, which was an apartment complex of which the museum building itself was a part. It's been razed and rebuilt upon, but was a cultural hub for the black community in the early 20th century.

One way to participate is to become supporting members of non-profit organizations that enhance the African American community.

Organizations like the Evansville African American Museum and the NAACP are membership driven like many non-profit organizations.

Miller said supporting such organizations is one way to participate in Black History Month.

“… and there's a number of organizations around the community that are reaching out, and doing good things,” Miller said. “And I think, like I said, it's better when we work together, (we) can make things happen for good.”

There’s a “new member sign-up” at EVVAAM.org for sponsorship.

Miller says non-black participation in events has grown through the decades.

The University of Southern Indiana released their schedule of Black History month events, which include Black Heroes Bingo, a cultural cookoff and several others. See the flyer below for more details.