Evansville African American Museum

09/01/2026

🍩 🍔

The food truck behind the famous donut burger has been donated to the Evansville African American Museum, and it's already back in action this weekend.

08/31/2026

In 1937, Grace Lutheran Church was established in Evansville. The predominantly African American congregation worshiped at Gum and Elliott Streets in the heart of Baptisttown.

Across town, Peace Lutheran Church, a predominantly White congregation, was building its own history. For decades, the two were separate congregations. Then, in 2007, Grace Lutheran and Peace Lutheran came together to form Grace and Peace Lutheran Church, bringing their two communities together as one.

And then came the donut burgers! 🍩🍔 Through the church's fundraising and outreach efforts, Grace and Peace became a familiar presence year after year at the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival.

Now, another chapter is beginning. As Grace and Peace Lutheran Church winds down its journey, the church has gifted that food truck to the Evansville African American Museum!

We are honored to carry it forward - and yes, we're bringing back the Donut Burgers! 🍩🍔

What began as a way for a church to serve its community will now become another way for EAAM to serve ours—creating opportunities for fundraising, partnerships, community engagement, and connection.

And this Saturday, September 5, that story continues! We'll be putting the truck to work for the first time as we join Family Day in the Park at Bayard Park for the soft launch of the EAAM Donut Burger.

📍 Bayard Park
📅 Saturday, September 5
⏰ 12–8 p.m.

One truck. Two congregations. Nearly a century of Evansville history. And now, a new chapter at EAAM. ❤️



📸: Grace Lutheran Church in its earliest years. Photo shared via Historic Evansville, www.historicevansville.com.

08/31/2026

🎶 Music Monday: Philip Lawrence 🎶

Born and raised in Evansville, Philip Lawrence has helped create the soundtrack to some of the biggest moments in modern pop music.

Lawrence built an award-winning career as a songwriter, producer, performer, and entertainer. As one-third of the acclaimed songwriting and production trio The Smeezingtons, he co-wrote and produced numerous international hits, including Bruno Mars favorites like "Gr***de," "Just the Way You Are," and "Locked Out of Heaven," along with songs recorded by artists such as CeeLo Green and Flo Rida.

His work has earned multiple Grammy Awards and has been heard on stages around the world—including performing in two Super Bowl halftime shows.

Philip Lawrence's success is a reminder that world-class talent can come from right here in Evansville. We're proud to celebrate his contributions to music and his place in Indiana's rich musical legacy.

🎵 What's your favorite song that Philip Lawrence helped write or produce? Tell us in the comments!



Pictured: Philip Lawrence performing with Bruno Mars in Singapore in 2024. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

08/31/2026

August 31 | International Day for People of African Descent 🌍

Today, we join people around the world in recognizing the history, heritage, culture, and contributions of people of African descent.

This United Nations observance day was officially established in 2020, but August 31 carries a much longer history. On this date in 1920, Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association concluded its First International Convention of the Negro Peoples of the World in Harlem, bringing together representatives of Black communities from across the globe.

More than a century later, August 31 remains a day to celebrate the contributions of the African diaspora while recognizing the ongoing work toward equality, justice, and human rights.

At the Evansville African American Museum, we believe that preserving local history is part of preserving the larger story of the African diaspora. The lives, achievements, struggles, creativity, and resilience of Black Evansvillians are an important part of that story.

Today, we honor those who came before us, celebrate those shaping our communities today, and continue preserving their stories for generations to come. 🖤

08/31/2026

🌿 Community Wellness Spotlight: Growing Through Grief 🌿

August is National Wellness Month! As we continue recognizing the importance of wellness in our communities, the Evansville African American Museum is proud to share information about an upcoming event focused on healing, reflection, and restoration.

Growing Through Grief: Healing What Loss Leaves Behind invites community members to gather for an evening of support and conversation as we navigate the journey of grief together.

📅 Tuesday, September 1, 2026
🕕 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 Zion Missionary Baptist Church
1800 S. Governor St.
Evansville, IN 47713

This event, sponsored by Soul Writers Guild & Zion Women’s Ministry, features Cassandra Raine-Francis, Grief Coach with Life After Love LLC.

Grief is a deeply personal experience, but healing does not have to happen alone. Creating spaces for honest conversations, connection, and support is an important part of community wellness.

All are welcome. Light refreshments will be served.

For questions, contact Cassandra Raine-Francis at 812-518-9607.

08/30/2026

Around 1926, students at Douglass High School gathered as Evansville’s first harmonica club—along with ukuleles—for a photograph that captures a little-known piece of our city’s Black educational history.

The club was organized by Dr. Charles E. Rochelle, an Evansville educator whose own accomplishments were remarkable.

After serving in World War I, Dr. Rochelle went on to become the first African American to earn a doctorate in education from the University of California, Berkeley. He returned to Evansville, where he became a social studies teacher and later principal of Lincoln High School, serving in that role until his retirement in 1962.

But Dr. Rochelle’s legacy was about more than academics. He was deeply involved in Evansville’s community, serving through Liberty Baptist Church, the Cawthar Shrine Temple, the Deaconess Hospital Foundation Board and the Masonic community.

And perhaps this photograph offers one more glimpse of his philosophy: education could—and should—make room for creativity, music, leadership and opportunity.

The students pictured here weren't simply participating in an extracurricular activity. They were part of a Black educational community in Evansville that was building something lasting.

📸 Courtesy of the University of Southern Indiana, University Archives & Special Collections, Evansville African American Community Collection.

What a wonderful piece of Evansville history. 🎶

08/30/2026

🚨 EAAM NEEDS VOLUNTEERS! 🚨

The Westside Nut Club Fall Festival is coming up, and we need volunteers to help staff the Evansville African American Museum booth!

📅 October 5–10
⏰ 4-hour shifts
🙋 All are welcome to volunteer!

You don’t have to be an EAAM member or board member to help—we’d love to have community members, friends, supporters, family, and first-time volunteers join us.

If you can spare a shift, we want you! ❤️

📩 Message us or contact us at (812) 423-5188 to sign up.

Help us represent EAAM, connect with our community, and make this year’s Fall Festival a success!

08/29/2026

🎂 Happy birthday, Mr. Michael! 🎉

We already celebrated one famous Michael earlier today, but we couldn’t let our own beloved Michael Scales have a birthday without a little celebration of his own! ❤️

Mr. Mike is a Maintenance and Facilities Technician at the Evansville African American Museum. We surprised Mike in the office today with a birthday cake and his favorite snacks! 🥤🍫🥜

Mr. Mike is such an important part of the EAAM family. From keeping things running behind the scenes to always lending a helping hand, we’re so grateful for all that he does for the museum. 💙

Happy Birthday, Michael! We hope your day is as special as you are to all of us! 🎉🎂

Drop a 🎂 or ❤️ in the comments to help us wish Mr. Mike a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

08/29/2026

What did Black joy look like in Evansville in 1944?

Sometimes, when we look at historical photographs, we focus on the work. The struggle. The milestones.

But history also looked like this.

On June 11, 1944, members of Evansville’s shipbuilding community gathered at Burdette Park for a picnic celebrating the 100th keel built at the Evansville shipyard.

Among the photographs preserved from that day are images of African American workers enjoying a day of food, fellowship and recreation away from the shipyard.

It was wartime. The work of building ships was demanding. But on this day, there was room for something else, too.

Joy.

Black history is not only a record of what people endured or accomplished. It is also a record of how people lived, gathered, celebrated and found joy.

These photographs give us a glimpse of Black joy in Evansville 82 years ago.

📸 Evansville Shipyard Collection, Evansville Museum of Arts, History, and Science
Courtesy of Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library Digital Collections
June 11, 1944

08/29/2026

🎉 **On This Day in History | August 29, 1958**

Today we celebrate the birth of Michael Jackson, one of the most influential entertainers of all time—and a proud son of Indiana.

Born in Gary, Michael Jackson spent his childhood in northwest Indiana, where he and his brothers began performing together as the Jackson 5. What started in a working-class Indiana neighborhood grew into a musical phenomenon that would captivate audiences around the world.

From Motown hits to record-breaking albums, groundbreaking music videos, and unforgettable performances, Michael Jackson transformed popular music and inspired generations of artists. His journey is a reminder that extraordinary talent can emerge from communities across our state and leave an impact felt around the globe.

As we celebrate his birthday, we're also proud to recognize the remarkable contributions Black Hoosiers have made to the arts, culture, and history of Indiana and beyond.

🎶 What's your favorite Michael Jackson song, album, or performance? Tell us in the comments!

📷: courtesy of Wikimedia Commons