Crispus Attucks Museum

05/24/2022

The Start To The Nation’s Juneteenth Holiday Is Only One Week Away! Although Juneteenth is officially on a Sunday this year, the celebration begins at the 1st of the month!

As a part of Juneteenth commemoration, the IPS Crispus Attucks Museum will open its archives to provide an exclusive look at three unique specimens that date back to early & mid-twentieth century, dedicated to the legacy of escaped slave, Crispus Attucks, "Freedom’s Number One Patriot." His martyrdom in 1770 spearheaded the start of America’s break from the Royal Crown of Great Britain.

A limited edition 1932 poetry book titled "Crispus Attucks: A Patriotic Narrative of American Heroism in the Boston Massacre;" also a 1967 Golden Legacy comic book titled "Crispus Attucks and the Minutemen." Plus a very rare Crispus Attucks Commemorative Silver Dollar, issued by the U.S. Mint, will all be available for the public to enjoy during the month of June's "Coffee with the Curator," sponsored by the beautifully preserved, historic Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site & Tinker Coffee Company. Crispus Attucks Museum Curator, Robert Chester will facilitate this informative walk through American history. One of America's earliest known individuals to successfully escape slavery and remain free for twenty years, and the first person to die for the New World was a black man named Crispus Attucks.

All are welcome to come enjoy a delicious cup of hot coffee while absorbing the rich history inside the walls of the Crispus Attucks Museum!

This event is free and open to the public.
Friday, June 3, 2022 at 8:30am
1140 M.L.K. Street Door #13
317-409-5281
*Limited Supply
*RSVP Required

02/10/2022

BLACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!
The Genealogical Society of Marion County proudly presents, part two of “Crispus Attucks: From the Beginning.” Museum Curator & Senior Archivist, Robert Chester will again facilitate a spellbinding oral history presentation and guided tour of the beautifully designed Crispus Attucks Museum live and in person.

CRISPUS ATTUCKS MUSEUM BLACK HISTORY MONTH SPECIAL
Saturday, February 12, 2022 at 1:00 PM.

This event is free and open to the public. All are welcome to attend with no pre-registration required. For more information, please contact the Genealogical Society of Marion County at genealogyindy.org You can also call or text the Crispus Attucks Museum at 317-409-5281.

02/08/2022

February is Black History Month!
But so are the other eleven months!

There is a lot to see and do at the IPS Crispus Attucks Museum throughout the months of February, March, April, May, June, and beyond...

Tuesday - Friday 10:00am to 6:00pm
Saturday and Sunday 10:00am to 3:00pm
By Appointment Only. Call or text your museum tour request to 317-409-5281 or inbox us here on Facebook!

12/10/2021

On behalf of the IPS Crispus Attucks Museum (CAM), we would like to thank the faculty and staff at the Indiana State Museum and the Conner Prairie Living History Museum for their inspirational morning visits to CAM! An amazing and informative time was had with these two distinguished groups of museum professionals. A great deal of positive change is in the air throughout the city of Indianapolis, and YOUR Crispus Attucks Museum is in the center of it ALL!

11/13/2021

The faculty and staff of the IPS Crispus Attucks Museum would like to congratulate president & CEO of the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, Charlie Hyde and his entire staff for another outstanding formal gala held on Veteran’s Day at the Indiana Roof Ballroom.

The 16th Annual Mary Tucker Jasper Speaker Series was a huge success! On Thursday, November 11th from 6 to 9pm, the Indiana Roof Ballroom filled to capacity with museum professionals and intellects to hear and learn from executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum in Springfield, Illinois, Christina Shutt; president & CEO of the Andrew Jackson’s The Hermitage in Nashville, Tennessee, Howard Kittell; and Future Presidents of America alumnus, Jade Thomas.

It is refreshing and reassuring to know that there are so many men a women who have also dedicated their lives to the profession of museum science and are well connected and respected throughout America. Keep up the great work Charlie!

10/01/2021

“Crispus Attucks: From the Beginning”
Live Virtual History Program

The Genealogical Society of Marion County proudly presents an exciting virtual history program produced by IPS Crispus Attucks Museum Curator & Historian, Robert Chester. This special event is hosted by GSMC and will air live on October 9th at 1:00pm at [email protected]. “Crispus Attucks: From the Beginning” will explore 18th century British America, known today as the “east coast,” and revisit the simple life of a middle-age free man of color name Crispus Attucks, whose martyrdom on March 5, 1770, changed the trajectory of the New World and helped usher in the start of the American Revolutionary War.

Free Advance Registration Required. Send an email with your name, city, and state before the event to [email protected] with the subject line “RSVP October 9.” After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event.

Don’t miss this thought-provoking discussion!

You can also schedule a tour of the IPS Crispus Attucks Museum and experience the “Crispus Attucks: From the Beginning” exhibit in person! Call or text your tour request to 317-409-5281.

09/27/2021

Indiana: The Race State, Segment 2
"Black Saturday," Riverside Amusement

"BLACK SATURDAY"
It is no secret that African Americans (Descendants of American Slaves) have contributed immensely in every facet of building, maintaining, and defending America. It is also no secret that there are no people anywhere on the planet that have contributed so much and received so little than that of African Americans.

In a series of posts, we will travel back through Indiana's past to reclaim the well-known and not-so well-known trials and triumphs of black Indiana. We will explore the people, places, and events of our past that we must not let time erase. I title this work, "Indiana: The Race State."

I am sure you are familiar with the phrase "Black Friday." But what about "Black Saturday?" From 1903 until 1970, at the corner of East Riverside Parkway & 30th Street, adjacent to Riverside Park, there stood a grand amusement park with bumper cars, roller coasters, cotton candy, a looking-glass maze, skating rink, canoe rides, rowboats, electric carousel, bowling alley, a miniature railway, arcade games, an aerial swing, and more. Throughout the late 1980s, each time I'd approach the stop light at Riverside & 30th Street, I would turn my head to the right (looking eastward), and could see the skeletal remains of a roller coaster, still standing, barely visible through all of the tall trees, foliage, bushes and shrubbery that had long since overtaken the once bustling amusement park. I would wonder about what it must have been like to visit the park at the turn of the twentieth century, only to learn that there was a "whites only" policy in place. How torturous it must have been, I thought to myself, for black families living in the area, to see and hear all of the fun and excitement taking place just a few feet away, and knowing that you were not wanted or welcome. In 1963, the NAACP Youth Council organized a series of protests that caused park management to lift the whites only policy and allowed black families to attend the park on Saturday; it became known as "Black Saturday." The Riverside Amusement Park closed at the end of the 1969 season and the land laid undisturbed and overgrown for more than two decades, until the construction of the River's Edge subdivision in the early 2000s.

Check out these two short clips of the abandoned park. WISH-TV8: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoiyfMGddG8 and Abandoned Parks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AJorS0RuPk

09/26/2021

“And The Emmy Goes To … Attucks: The School That Opened A City.”

When We Say “America’s Most Celebrated High School,” We Mean Just That!

A HUGE congratulations once again goes out to our good friends at WFYI and Master Filmmaker Ted Green. Their amazing film work and professionalism produced an epic 2016 multimillion dollar Emmy Award winning history documentary titled, “Attucks: The School That Opened A City.” It was a distinct honor working with this renowned group of men and women. WFYI and Ted Green are great supporters of the IPS Crispus Attucks Museum! During the formal red carpet gala of the film’s release at the Madam Walker Theatre, Ted walked over and presented me with an autographed copy of a VIP packet! We will forever be indebted to Ted Green and WFYI.

“Attucks: The School That Opened A City.” Emmy Award: Lower Great Lakes Region Documentary— Cultural. WFYI, Ted Green Producer.

Schedule your visit of the IPS Crispus Attucks Museum and experience this amazing exhibit in person. Call or text your request to 317-409-5281.
For much more history visit facebook.com/crispus.attucks.549

09/16/2021

ROOTS AT ATTUCKS

More Images:
On location at the Alex Haley Museum, Henning, TN. The final resting place of Alex Haley, located in the front yard of the Alex Haley Museum. The Final Resting Place of "Chicken George," Henning, TN.

For much more black history visit facebook.com/crispus.attucks.549

09/16/2021

ROOTS AT ATTUCKS
More Images:
*Senator David Haley of Kansas signs autographs.
*Museum Curator & Senior Archivist, Robert Chester facilitates question & answering session.
*Museum Executive & Historian, Beverly Murray Johnson (7th generation granddaughter of Kunta Kinte) express her family's sincere appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Robert Chester.

For much more black history visit facebook.com/crispus.attucks.549

09/16/2021

ROOTS AT ATTUCKS
Pt. 5 of 5

Museum Executive & Historian, Beverly Murray Johnson (7th generation granddaughter of Kunta Kinte), took us step-by-step through time until we arrived back at “the old African” himself. Her meticulous and detailed account of their family-tree was spellbinding. She also shared the trials and triumphs associated with transforming the boyhood home of Alex Haley into a state-of-the-art history museum.

This entire weekend was one of reflection and contemplation. Each highpoint of my career have always been achieved when honoring the accomplishment of others. At the end of the program, I was blown away when the Kinte family adopted me into their family! “Robert, you have shown us a new way of sharing our family story with America. We will forever be grateful and you will forever be a part of our family,” Beverly proclaimed.

As the program came to a close and the lecture hall emptied, the silence that overtook the room allowed me a moment to sit in a corner chair and reflect. A sense of accomplishment filled my mind as tears of joy and sadness filled my eyes. I thought back on the overwhelming success of the day’s program and the tremendous strength of America’s earliest hero’s like that of Kunta Kinte.

For much more black history visit facebook.com/crispus.attucks.549

09/16/2021

ROOTS AT ATTUCKS
Pt. 4 of 5

Senator David Haley of Kansas gave a fascinating account of life as a descendant of Kunta Kinte and the nephew of Alex Haley. He explained how life for the Haley family drastically changed the moment the miniseries aired. “Those of us who are fortunate enough to be descendants of American Slaves have a Kunta Kinte somewhere deep in our ancestry,” Haley explained. Kunta (by whatever name he or she may have carried) represents the absolute resistance to slavery. Although these humans (known as slaves) may have lived their entire lives in bo***ge, their hearts and minds never accepted the insane distorted reality of forced servitude.

For much more black history visit facebook.com/crispus.attucks.549

09/16/2021

ROOTS AT ATTUCKS
Pt. 3 of 5

In 1977, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) released a week-long miniseries titled “Roots: The Saga of an American Family,” directed by David L. Wolper. Inspired by Haley’s book of the same title, this miniseries featuring an all-star cast won countless awards and quickly became the most watched miniseries in American broadcast history. From the very moment I witnessed this epic piece of work as a ten-year-old child, my mind was instantly transformed from that of an adolescent, to one of devout study of human evolution & world behavior.

During an early Saturday morning in February 2013, the lecture hall at the Crispus Attucks Museum filled to capacity with excitement and wonder, as descendants of Kunta Kinte arrived to speak to the Indianapolis community about the importance of tracking family lineage and passing it down to younger generations. Living in the slave-holding South, Magnolia Murray Johnson, ninety-two years young, approached the microphone to describe how she could still recall as a child, playing in the yard of the family home in Henning, Tennessee, while “Chicken George,” advanced in age, sat on the front porch watching over her.

For much more black history visit facebook.com/crispus.attucks.549

09/16/2021

ROOTS AT ATTUCKS
Pt. 2 of 5

III. The most memorable moment of my career is Black History Month 2013. I was in total awe when true bloodline descendants of Kunta Kinte, the great-grandfather (seven generations removed) of Pulitzer Prize-winning author and father of American genealogy, Alex Haley, welcomed me into their family!

A few years ago, the Crispus Attucks Museum was fortunate to produce a Black History Month special that included a weekend-long history presentation featuring several descendants of Kunta Kinte. In the midst of a standing-room only crowd, we traveled back in time to West Africa during the 1700s to experience life as only Kunta Kinte could describe.

A free-born child from the village of Jufureh near the Gambia River, Kunta found himself running for his life one fateful day in 1767, as fellow Africans chased him down, capturing and selling him into slavery along with millions more unsuspecting Africans. No one could have foreseen the terror that awaited this young man upon being chained, shackled, and forced deep into the bowels of a ship headed to the New World.

Even amongst the controversy surrounding accusations of plagiarism, along with Haley’s admission to copying various segments of his novel from previous works, he still managed to do what no other man had done since the 1915 release of D.W. Griffith’s silent film, “The Birth of a Nation,” Alex Haley managed to captivate the entire world with an all-American story of the unbreakable bond of an enslaved family and their determination and commitment to being free.

For much more black history visit facebook.com/crispus.attucks.549

09/16/2021

ROOTS AT ATTUCKS
Pt. 1 of 5

Throughout my personal and professional life, I am fortunate to have enjoyed countless moments of satisfaction, privilege, and breakthroughs. Three of my most memorable are:

I. The birth of my two sons. I could also include the birth of my two grandchildren as well. There are no words to describe the level of satisfaction, gratitude, appreciation, and fear that surge throughout the body upon witnessing the birth of a new life. Now all grown up, my sons have blessed me with two amazing grandchildren. Adding four additional leaves to our family tree is what my father was all about. He took extreme pride in celebrating our family ancestry.

II. Another memorable moment is being one of only a few Americans to have received the nation of Taiwan’s Gold Stamp Award! I was totally speechless when in 2009 the Taiwan Principal Delegation to the U.S. visited the Crispus Attucks Museum and presented me with one of their nation’s civilian awards for leadership. “After spending time in Washington D.C. and New York, we found no one more deserving of our nation’s Gold Stamp Award than Dr. Robert Chester.” As the translator continued, “On behalf of the nation of Taiwan, we would like to present you with this token of appreciation and admiration for your dedication to leadership, education, and humanity.”

Over the years, I’ve earned countless awards, certifications, citations, and degrees, but upon receiving the nation of Taiwan Gold Stamp Award, I completely lost my voice and was unable to speak.

For much more black history visit facebook.com/crispus.attucks.549

09/14/2021

The Crispus Attucks Museum is Proud to Welcome the Hamilton County Retired Teachers Association! We Have a Full Day of Education, Excitement, and Enlightenment Planned for this Distinguished Group of Educators.

For much more black history visit facebook.com/crispus.attucks.549

08/25/2021

Yesterday, a partnership that began at the beginning of the year took a huge step forward to bring to you an American Experience Unlike No Other! The Crispus Attucks Museum in collaboration with the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site will soon be announcing great news! Stay Tuned!

For much more black history visit facebook.com/crispus.attucks.549

08/25/2021

The Crispus Attucks Museum is proud to welcome the University of Indianapolis! Their visit today consists of one of the nation's highest rated history presentations from 2013 to 2019. "An American Immigration Story: Africans Crossing the Sea" is its title!

For much more black history visit facebook.com/crispus.attucks.549

08/22/2021

Crispus Attucks High School, 1936\

YEARBOOK STAFF: Wilma Blackwell, Vida Lane, Irene Taylor, Elizabeth Carter, Vivian Allen, Martha Ann Fisher, Sara Virginia Williams, Nellie Madison, Mae Will Porter, Eugene Stokely, Virginia Edwards.

For much more black history visit facebook.com/crispus.attucks.549

08/22/2021

Crispus Attucks High School, 1951
Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC)

Commissioned Officers: Self Discipline, Neatness, Courtesy, and Courage are emphasized daily.

For much more black history visit facebook.com/crispus.attucks.549

08/22/2021

On behalf of the Crispus Attucks Museum, we would like to thank all our spring and summer tourists and guests from across America that took time out of their travels to stop by and spend time with us! New Orleans, Dallas, Memphis, Chicago, Dayton, Pittsburg, and of course, Indianapolis. We had a blast!

For much more black history visit facebook.com/crispus.attucks.549

08/05/2021

THE CHAMP IS IN THE HOUSE!
Three-Time Light Heavyweight Champion of the World and 1971 Crispus Attucks Graduate, Marvin Johnson and his lovely family was nice enough to spend the morning with us here at the Crispus Attucks Museum. The Champ is a very good friend of mine and it is always a pleasure and an honor each moment I am fortunate enough to be in the presence of excellence! I love this man. He has truly been like a big brother to me. Long Live The Champ!

Museum Curator & Historian, Robert Chester is photographed with 3-time light heavyweight champion of the world, Marvin Johnson.

For much more black history visit facebook.com/crispus.attucks.549

08/01/2021

Crispus Attucks Museum updated their phone number.

Crispus Attucks Museum updated their phone number.

08/01/2021

On behalf of the entire Crispus Attucks Museum staff, we would like to thank everyone who participated in this summer’s Central Library Adult Summer Reading Program (ASRP); and a very special thanks to the staff at the Marion County Public Library. From June 7 to July 31, the Crispus Attucks Museum was featured during ASRP under the theme “Discover.” We had a great time greeting all of our return guests and with even more first time visitors! As the summer begins to slowly come to a close and the autumn leaves begin to change color, you still have time to experience one of America’s greatest history museums. Don’t let the winter snow sneak up on you before bringing your family to this amazing institution for a private guided tour, where you will encounter one of the nation’s top history scholars bringing to life each exhibit to reveal its true meaning and purpose. Schedule your visit by calling or texting your request to 317-409-5281. Crispus Attucks Museum Tuesday- Friday 10:00am to 6:00pm, Saturday- Sunday 10:00am to 3:00pm by appointment only.