First things first. If you have never received an invitation to IBE’s Summer Celebration then here it is. I would love to see you at Summer Celebration this year. Summer Celebration is one of two major fundraisers for IBE, with proceeds going to support year round work across the state improving communities.
Since I was a kid, IBE’s Summer Celebration has been the time and place where I got to reconnect with old friends, meet new friends and to celebrate and learn about various facets of Black culture.
With very little taught about Black culture in schools, and negative portrayals of Black culture in the media (yes sometimes by us) this is one of the few times I actually get to learn about my culture.
There have been many issues impacting the Black community in the media lately, but I think they affect all Americans. This Summer Celebration, my hope is that my friends and peers can find a way to come together and to reaffirm the bonds that make Indy “no mean city.”
So there are 10 days of Summer Celebration, and a lot fills each one of them. If you do one thing, you have to go to the Exhibit Halls. It’s the place to be.
You can find anything really – nice bed linens, jewelry, hair care products, and item samples of just about anything. Alexander and I will definitely hit up the Family Fun Zone in the Exhibit Halls. (Think obstacle courses, bungee jump trampolines and interactive games designed to wear a toddler out.)
There’s also the INshape Minority Health Fair which is actually open to everyone.
In the Exhibit Halls you’ll likely run into a Congressman, a church group, artists and aspiring musicians, pageant winners, celebrities, teenagers exploring the limits of their freedom downtown, and plain old good people reconnecting with friends and family.
I’m particularly excited about this year, and here’s what I’ll be checking out at Summer Celebration:
Reggie Wayne Memorabilia Exhibit: The 2001 NFL Draft 30th overall selection, No. 87 has given us years of highlights and heroics. I’m looking forward to walking down memory lane with one of the best that ever wore the blue and white.
Selma to Montgomery: Marching Along the Voting Rights Trail Traveling Exhibit: With the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Montgomery Civil Rights March occurring earlier this year, the photojournalist Stephen Somerstein has compiled 45 powerful and historic black and white and color photographs. Featured photographs include author James Baldwin smiling and Martin Luther King Jr surrounded by microphones. The exhibit will end its national tour in Indy. There will be a silent auction of the photographs with proceeds going to IBE’s Scholarship fund.
Indiana Historical Society: Hoosier Cartoons, Comics, and Their Creators: This exhibit looks at Indiana’s contribution to cartoons which varies from stinging political commentary to humorous feel good funnies.
Indiana Black Expo Midwest Invitational Boxing Showcase: Boxing is back at Summer Celebration! I’ve come to appreciate professional boxing more by watching top amateur boxers. There will be some awards, special tributes and appearances by famous boxers and boxing coaches. I am coming for the action!
You are invited and I hope to see you on Saturday, July 18 at the Indiana Convention Center. If you see me – be sure to say hi.
