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The whole story is waiting to be told
Promised Land as Proving Ground is Conner Prairie’s newest permanent exhibit, offering an immersive journey through Black history from pre-colonial Africa to present-day America. This transformative experience highlights the vital role of food, fellowship, family, and faith in shaping the Black experience.
Through storytelling, multimedia, and hands-on activities, Promised Land as Proving Ground invites visitors to engage deeply with the struggles, triumphs, and contributions of African Americans.
Indiana was both a Promised Land—a place of refuge and opportunity for African Americans—and a Proving Ground, where they built communities, strengthened their faith, and navigated the complexities of American democracy. The exhibit is woven throughout Prairietown and beyond, featuring:
- Origins Cabin: A short film exploring the journey from pre-colonial Africa to the arrival of Black people in the Northwest Territory.
- Resistance Cabin: A deep dive into 19th-century African American history in Indiana.
- Reclamation Building: A modern space focusing on the 20th and 21st centuries, featuring a gallery for resident artists and rotating exhibits.
- Reflections Cabin: A sanctuary space for contemplation and visitor reflections.
- Augmented Reality Experiences – Interactive elements using the Timelooper app to bring historical figures and stories to life.
Elements of this exhibit extend beyond the cabins, with stories interwoven throughout Conner Prairie’s historic spaces—including the William Conner House, where visitors can learn about Pete Smith, an African American craftsman who shaped the region’s history.
FAQ
As a free state, Indiana represented a Promised Land for some African American families, filled with economic opportunities, independence, and freedom from racism, racial violence, and other forms of oppression. It also served as a Proving Ground for this freedom, a place to develop African American faith and challenge American democracy.
The experience also explores how American values like resiliency, optimism, and spirituality are reflected in African American history and culture.
Promised Land as Proving Ground is the beginning of an intentional evolution to achieve Conner Prairie’s mission of inspiring curiosity and fostering learning through engaging and individualized experiences for everyone. We are committed to telling the stories of all Hoosiers in a way that is historically accurate, comprehensive, and inclusive.
- It moves away from a first-person narrative told by the “residents” of Prairietown, to encourage present-day dialogue and conversations about the impact of the African American community on Indiana’s past and present.
- In the past, Conner Prairie’s exhibit narratives began with enslavement. With Promised Land as Proving Ground, this changed. The experience begins with pre-colonial Africa and continues through the present day.
- This is the first time Conner Prairie has created an experience that tells the whole story of Indiana’s history. It moves away from a first-person narrative to encourage present-day dialogue and conversations about the impact of the African American community on Indiana’s past and its present.
Promised Land as Proving Ground incorporates audio-visual components, experiential, hands-on, and augmented reality to fully immerse guests in the experience and to encourage dialogue about the African American experience in Indiana. For those with sensory sensitivities, moderate noises and lights from the video will occur.
The paths leading into the exhibit and the exit path from the cabins are both wheelchair accessible.
Supporters
Community Partnerships and Sponsors
- Asante Art Institute of Indianapolis
- Anthony "Baba Tony" Artis
- Center for Africana Studies & Culture at IUPUI
- Living Word Baptist Church
- Green Thumb Garden Patrol
- Purdue Extension Master Gardeners
- Spirit and Place
- Witherspoon Presbyterian Church
- Angela Denman, Indianapolis Public Schools
- Chief Luisah Teish
- Filson Historical Society
- Indiana Historical Society
- Israel Solomon, Artist-in-residence
- LaShawnda Crowe Storm, Spirit & Place Festival
- Lawrence Community Gardens
- Maria Hamilton Abegunde, Ph.D., Indiana University
- Messiah Missionary Baptist Church
- Rev. Pamela Emmanuel, Grace & Mercy Assembly
Sponsors
- Eli Lilly & Co. Foundation
- Lilly Endowment Inc.
- Indianapolis Garden Club
- The Community Innovation Leadership Fund, a fund of Central Indiana Community Foundation
- Brabson Family Foundation
- The Meridian Foundation
- Indiana Landmarks: Black Heritage Preservation Program
- Hamilton County Tourism
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